Buy Panny plasma or wait?

[x RadicalAura x]

I currently have a 50" LG 50PA6500 that I bought last year. With the news of Panasonic halting plasma production in March, like many, I'm now considering the purchase of a ST60 (either 50" or 55", price permitting). My questions are:

1.) Will I notice a big enough of an improvement coming from my 50" LG plasma to a ST60 to justify the purchase? (I would assume the answer would be yes, considering the stellar reviews)
2.) Is it a wise investment decision, given the development of OLED/4K displays? Would it be better to stick with my 50" LG plasma for 3-5 years until OLED/4K TVs are more affordable and refined?
3.) The cheapest price I can find a ST60 right now is $999.99 for a 50" and $1349.99 for a 55" through Sears. Is that an fair price? Is there a chance the price may decrease more in the coming months or is the risk of waiting and having them all sell out too high?
4.) Considering I spend ~50% of my TV time playing PS3/PS4 games and the other 50% watching Blu-rays, should I be concerned about the input lag? I'm not necessarily what one would call a "twitch" gamer, but has anyone else with a ST60 had issued with gaming performance?

[Halcro 1]

Only you can make that decision... I have ever a VT. Plasma 65 inch.. I love it... 4k. Is still a ways off and it's more expensive than the Panasonic. At 50 inch unless you a just a few feet from the display, you won't be impressed. To me 4K you need a 70 inch display to really make a difference at the 8-10 foot viewing distance. OLED is going to expensive also. It doesn't seem like you have the budget for display. No offense. Since you are bargain hunting for a 50inch display. As VT is a better display than the ST

[BaerGriggs]

Originally Posted by x RadicalAura x

I currently have a 50" LG 50PA6500 that I bought last year. With the news of Panasonic halting plasma production in March, like many, I'm now considering the purchase of a ST60 (either 50" or 55", price permitting). My questions are:

1.) Will I notice a big enough of an improvement coming from my 50" LG plasma to a ST60 to justify the purchase? (I would assume the answer would be yes, considering the stellar reviews)

I'm just going to speak on this point...I have the same LG TV, and the Panasonics are miles better than the LG. I bought the LG just because I wanted to get into the plasma TV game for cheap, but its black levels really aren't very good at all. Even worse, the LG's from that series have been notorious for having circuit board problems..I was lucky enough to get an out-of-warranty fix on mine a couple months ago but I know many at AVS Forum have had the same issues. Any 2013 Panasonic plasma would beat the LG by a long shot, as I've compared the two several times.

[dobyblue]

I wouldn't wait, the sets that have arrived recently from Japan into NA are all VT and ZT panel. ST sets are disappearing rapidly, if you want one...don't wait.

And yes, it will knock the pants off the LG.

[MrFattBill]

I would hate to live with the regret of passing up on getting one.

Bill

[repete66211]

Production isn't stopping in March, it already stopped in December. There should be unit available for a while but then maybe not. Amazon is down to one 65" ZT60 and it's being sourced from Paul's TV. Maybe they'll get more and maybe they won't. There were more STs produced but given their price/value and that 5 star CNET rating supplies have been irregular.

I can't address game lag (and never really understood how thousandths of a second can make a big difference) but the 4k/OLED issue is a no-brainer. There is virtually no native 4k content right now so you'd be paying for something that's not being utilized. As far as OLED, I'm not convinced it's going to be a viable option ever. At least not until they've proven that the longevity issues have been resolved.

[x RadicalAura x]

Thanks to everyone who has commented so far. It's seeming more and more like a no-brainier at this point. Keep 'em coming!

P.S. Sorry thought of one more question: Would the extra 5" be worth the extra $349? I know that's probably a subjective question, but does the 50" at $999 pose a better value than the 55" at $1349 or are they about equal in terms of value offerings? I'm dealing with a fairly confined space (college student) and the 50" LG's already seemed big as-is. I want the 55" deep down of course, but I'm not sure it'd be practical.

[JJ]

Originally Posted by x RadicalAura x

Thanks to everyone who has commented so far. It's seeming more and more like a no-brainier at this point. Keep 'em coming!

P.S. Sorry thought of one more question: Would the extra 5" be worth the extra $349? I know that's probably a subjective question, but does the 50" at $999 pose a better value than the 55" at $1349 or are they about equal in terms of value offerings? I'm dealing with a fairly confined space (college student) and the 50" LG's already seemed big as-is. I want the 55" deep down of course, but I'm not sure it'd be practical.

You'll regret it later. This is America! The land of indulgence. Do it! The 55" gives you 20% more screen.

[x RadicalAura x]

Originally Posted by Halcro 1

Only you can make that decision... I have ever a VT. Plasma 65 inch.. I love it... 4k. Is still a ways off and it's more expensive than the Panasonic. At 50 inch unless you a just a few feet from the display, you won't be impressed. To me 4K you need a 70 inch display to really make a difference at the 8-10 foot viewing distance. OLED is going to expensive also. It doesn't seem like you have the budget for display. No offense. Since you are bargain hunting for a 50inch display. As VT is a better display than the ST

It's not like I'd run out and buy a 4K TV tomorrow, as you're making it out to be. I said in my post ~3-5 years out when the 70"+ are more affordable and my living conditions are different (as stated in post above, I'm a college student). From what I've heard, the ST60 has better brightness than the VT60 and D-nice chose the ST60 over the VT60. Not to mention, the VT60 stand is hideous, in my opinion. I don't doubt that the VT60 is better in some categories, but it's not worth an extra ~$600 to me, at this point. Coming from a 50" LG plasma, either is a substantial upgrade. "Bargain hunting" would've been last year when I bought my LG plasma, not picking the ST60 over the VT60.

[MasterSandman]

I upgraded my 2009 Panasonic 50" V10 to a 55" VT60 a few weeks back and I'm glad I did. I don't think you can go wrong with any of the STs, VTs, or ZTs and you should do it soon!

[Silo5]

If you're going to upgrade, then "UPGRADE". Forget the 55" and go for the 65"!. You will definitely see an improvement over your current 50" screen.

[x RadicalAura x]

Good news everyone, I'm a proud new owner of a Panasonic P50ST60! Made a trip over to Sears after work. They had one 50" and one 55" model left and said they would not be getting anymore. After much contemplation, I ultimately chose the 50"! I would've gone for the 55" in a heartbeat, but like I mentioned earlier, my setup's in a bedroom, so I'm dealing with a fairly confined space. Nonetheless, I cannot wait to get this thing hooked up and kiss the LG goodbye. I'll try to sell it if I can.

Thanks to everyone who pushed me over the edge. Without the enthusiastic recommendations, I may have not gotten it.

So here's my plan:
1.) Hook it all up
2.) Run the break in slides (for ~100-200 hrs.?)
3.) Calibrate (are D-Nice's settings definitively the best or are there others worth trying out?)

Am I missing anything?

[MasterSandman]

Originally Posted by x RadicalAura x

Good news everyone, I'm a proud new owner of a Panasonic P50ST60! Made a trip over to Sears after work. They had one 50" and one 55" model left and said they would not be getting anymore. After much contemplation, I ultimately chose the 50"! I would've gone for the 55" in a heartbeat, but like I mentioned earlier, my setup's in a bedroom, so I'm dealing with a fairly confined space. Nonetheless, I cannot wait to get this thing hooked up and kiss the LG goodbye. I'll try to sell it if I can.

Thanks to everyone who pushed me over the edge. Without the enthusiastic recommendations, I may have not gotten it.

So here's my plan:
1.) Hook it all up
2.) Run the break in slides (for ~100-200 hrs.?)
3.) Calibrate (are D-Nice's settings definitively the best or are there others worth trying out?)

Am I missing anything?

I did the D-Nice procedure but kept my old TV hooked up so I still had something to watch while I was waiting. I love how the picture looks after doing it his way!

[BluRoo98]

Originally Posted by x RadicalAura x

Good news everyone, I'm a proud new owner of a Panasonic P50ST60! Made a trip over to Sears after work. They had one 50" and one 55" model left and said they would not be getting anymore. After much contemplation, I ultimately chose the 50"! I would've gone for the 55" in a heartbeat, but like I mentioned earlier, my setup's in a bedroom, so I'm dealing with a fairly confined space. Nonetheless, I cannot wait to get this thing hooked up and kiss the LG goodbye. I'll try to sell it if I can.

Thanks to everyone who pushed me over the edge. Without the enthusiastic recommendations, I may have not gotten it.

So here's my plan:
1.) Hook it all up
2.) Run the break in slides (for ~100-200 hrs.?)
3.) Calibrate (are D-Nice's settings definitively the best or are there others worth trying out?)

Am I missing anything?

Congrats!!! Welcome to the club! I sent you a PM with settings to try.

Good luck!

[dobyblue]

Originally Posted by repete66211

Production isn't stopping in March, it already stopped in December. There should be unit available for a while but then maybe not. Amazon is down to one 65" ZT60 and it's being sourced from Paul's TV. Maybe they'll get more and maybe they won't. There were more STs produced but given their price/value and that 5 star CNET rating supplies have been irregular.

I can't address game lag (and never really understood how thousandths of a second can make a big difference) but the 4k/OLED issue is a no-brainer. There is virtually no native 4k content right now so you'd be paying for something that's not being utilized. As far as OLED, I'm not convinced it's going to be a viable option ever. At least not until they've proven that the longevity issues have been resolved.

My company has a corporate account with Panasonic as we're an integrated dealer; last shipment into Canada not a single ST was there, only ZT and VT. All sizes of ST and lower models are unavailable to order through the main distribution warehouse and the 60/65 ST sizes have been unavailable since the Oct 31st announcement.

What's the latest build date you've heard of someone getting an ST panel with?

[dobyblue]

Originally Posted by x RadicalAura x

D-nice chose the ST60 over the VT60.

Say what?

[BluRoo98]

Originally Posted by dobyblue

Say what?

I think he is referencing that Dnice bought/had a ST60 first for his personal use - probably the biggest reason for that was it was available long before the VT. But during the shootout that you attended when he was asked what he would spend his money on, didn't he say he would choose a VT60 over the ZT60 but again, that was because he had a low light room so the filter wasn't necessary.

[x RadicalAura x]

Originally Posted by BluRoo98

Congrats!!! Welcome to the club! I sent you a PM with settings to try.

Good luck!

Thanks a ton! I will be sure to try them out. Running through the slides now. Would you recommend leaving the slideshow running continuously throughout the night and day while I'm at work or giving it a rest and only doing it throughout the night? I'm dying to try this thing out ASAP, but I know that this is a vital first step and will pay off in the long run.

[rdodolak]

Originally Posted by x RadicalAura x

Thanks a ton! I will be sure to try them out. Running through the slides now. Would you recommend leaving the slideshow running continuously throughout the night and day while I'm at work or giving it a rest and only doing it throughout the night? I'm dying to try this thing out ASAP, but I know that this is a vital first step and will pay off in the long run.

FWIW, I ran the slides continuously and didn't have a problem.

[x RadicalAura x]

Originally Posted by rdodolak

FWIW, I ran the slides continuously and didn't have a problem.

Awesome! Think that's what I'll do as well. Thanks for the input.