ST30 for Gaming: After reading up on the issue on AVS and HDJ there is a mixed consensus on the issue, my question is are these new plasmas suited for 3-4 hour gaming sessions on games like the new MW3 or GofW3 or should I be looking at LCD models?
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Hello I own the p50st30 and am an avid gamer, and I also ran the slides as well for the first 100 hours, I wouldn't even say that is necessary, but I am overly cautious when it comes to expensive toys and investments. Burn-in was a problem with some plasmas in the early 2000's after hours and hours of static images being displayed, but technology has advanced so much and panasonic has especially made an effort to fix this that I wouldn't even think twice about burn in. My friend owns a 2008 panasonic plasma and a few times he will see residual images faintly from long gaming sessions that dissapear instantly when he turns it back on or changes the screen, it also had some white slides that came with the tv settings that could be run to eliminate any apparent "burn in". Plasma offer much better picture quality at a much better value than led or lcd, it is too bad that soo many people have been scared off by burn-in stories from early generations of plasmas, they are truly excellent tvs. I would definately stick with the st30 over an LCD you wont regret it.
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I've been playing a number of "classic" games (from SNES to PS2) on this set, and I've seen zero indications of burn-in. I think that this modern plasma system is much, much less susceptible to the burn-in issues that plagued earlier generations of plasma TV's - one of the major reasons I bought it. Also worth pointing out that if you *are* going to play a game with an unmoving background or HUD or something, it's good for your own health and that of the TV to take a break every few hours. Let the TV play some full-screen video content (or a color-bar pattern) for a few minutes while you stretch, hit the bathroom, etc. It'll keep you both happy and free of burn-in (or burn-outs). **EDIT:** Also worth pointing out: I was shocked at how good my PS2 games look when connected via cheap Component cables. Play with the "smoothing" settings to find a level you like, but I'm really happy. The games that support 480p mode (check the back of the box, or Wikipedia) look fantastic - much, much better than they did on my old rear-projection Mitsubishi DLP HD set, which turned them into a blurry, jaggy mess.
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if money was no object....i would buy the elite....its bigger (70 inch i believe)....its the only LED ive seen to best a plasma, BUT with a price of almost 8 g's id def rather have the VT, and definitely if the VT beats last years model. so basically the elite is nicer, BUT id rather spend more money on the vt and get a bad ass surround sound :)
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Actually online aficionado......The new Samsung LED's are WORSE. It is mentioned in cnets reviews and some have left comments here on amazon. One guy mentioned how he can see streaks running through his new LED tv in a dark room. So yeah... LCD's only look good when the lights are on.My friend has a panasonic plasma that he games on a lot. NO BURN IT. There is temporary image retention but that goes away fast.
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Did you read the CNET review? Buy it. I am a plasma purist and the owner of a legendary Pioneer Pro-111FD Kuro. I think this TV is right there. TVs are built for thousands of hours. Say 7 years at 5 hours a day.
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I'm deciding between the same thing, and I have chosen to plan on buying the VT25 over the GT25 because it has deeper blacks and apparently (I still need to ask around more about this) has true 24p Cinematic Playback, which is very important to me, I'm a cinema snob. The VT25 also has like one additional HDMI port or something, which really does not matter. The one thing I hear that the GT25 has over the VT25 is the ability to convert 2D to 3D (as best it can I guess). I really don't care about that, though. If it wasn't intended to be in 3D, then why would I want to do a cheap conversion on it? I suppose it could be cool, but I'm just not interested in that. I just want to see things in the best way they were intended to be seen. I am waiting for a price drop for the VT25, that's just way too expensive at the moment.
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That makes sense. As much as I love the Samsung plasmas for superior motion, picture quality, colors, and blacks -- for movies and hi-def TV, even in 768P -- I would still get a 1080p LCD if I were going to use it regularly as a monitor for a computer. Just be sure whatever LCD you do buy supports HD monitor display from a computer -- and via a type of connection that your computer has. Also be sure it does allow the display to be shown in different sizes and does not stick on 4:3 as my LCD does. You will want versatility.
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I don't game, but I do watch sports, and I bought a plasma because it has a fast response time. No problem watching sports, even ice hockey.
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I got this tv back in 06, you would be hard pressed to find one much newer. If you got a warranty from a used seller I would guess that it wouldn't be much. 30 days? You'd be better off at this point seeking out an LCD model. You would spend less and get more. I love plasma, but it is a bit old.
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Kerun B., The color saturation on the plasma is warmer (which most people might say was more realistic but not as sharp). The black level on the plasma is better due to the fact that it does not have separate backlighting. Both are great for sports, but I'll let others chime in on their opinions on that if they'd like. But both sets deliver a great, fast picture. Thanks for your interest in Samsung products. --Mr. S
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See calibration results here: http://www.tftcentral.co.uk/reviews/content/benq_xl2420t.htm (note: the brightness will be quite low for gaming, adjust to your liking) And here: http://www.flatpanelshd.com/review.php?subaction=showfull&id=1344844562 You can also download presets for specific games from BenQ here: http://gaming.benq.com/downloads/ BF3 I think is too bright, but NFS has nice color contrast for racing games.
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could be, i'm a member of avs and some of those ppl look for imperfections. i was looking at the samsung 4671 series with the 120hz output but avs scared me away from that display with all the issue's it has (TBE and sudder). i'll wait a year or 2 so samsung can get rid of the bugs.....another thing to consider when comparing the 2500 to the 3000 is the 2500 has an 8bit panel vs the 3000 having a 10bit...its your own preference though.
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I have 3 plasmas (will have 4 soon). My oldest is 5 years old (480p). If I go to a blue screen I can see a slight burn from [MUTE] flashing in the same spot. With normal content on the screen it is not noticeable at all. The newer panels are so much more advanced and burn-in or IR is a thing of the past. Turn on the "pixel shift" and don't worry. Just don't fall asleep with a still image on any technology.
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This model is now discontinued as the new Samsung plasmas are going to be taking its place. Look for the new models to hit the stores in the next month or so. I dont know what the price Amazon was selling this 5084 for but I know that Circuit City has it on sale right now for $1899, so you might wanna check that out.
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I went to best buy yesterday looking at Plasma TVs and one of the guys there highly recommended this tv because he owns it and hasn't had any burn-ins. Also, the tv screen doesn't reflect light as much as other TVs, so if you're going to be putting your tv in a bright room or near a window, this would also be better than other brands. I'm no expert, but the guy from best buy seemed to know what he was talking about. Hope this helps.
2010485
I am not sure how helpful this reply is, but I am in the process of upgrading an existing TV and spent about half an hour just looking at the 55" and up TV's at Best Buy yesterday for about half an hour. I watched about 8 different sets which included both Plasma (Samsung & Panasonic) along with LED edge-lit tv's from Samsung, LG, Sharp and Sony. I have to say that I only saw this on one TV and that was a Sharp 60" set. This set was set to ultra-torch mode and looked pretty crappy in general. I attributed the issue to the settings being cranked too high. I can't guarentee you that the problem would completely disappear with either a DIY adjustment or with professional calibration but I am sure it would be much, much less noticeable. My guess is that the lower end Sharp sets are going to be a little more tempermental and need more adjustments and tradeoffs. I would really like to see one of these sets in a real world set up and adjusted properly (I want a 60" TV with a smaller bexel due to space restrictions (Panny 60" ST30 is just a little too big). I really did like the looks of the LG 55LW5600. I have plasma right now and like it, but I am not convinced the blacks really are that good despite what David K. says on CNET. Some of the edge-lit LED sets do have decent black levels and detail in darker scenes. Maybe not as good as the Panny's, but they are so much brighter (will be used in a well-lit living room) and whites are white and not gray!
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Thank you so much for your reply. Looking at spending 2k+ for a television gets kind of scary. The only reason I want it is for the Video game goodness I can get. I had a friend that had an old samsung 3 years ago and it had delay issues. He would push the button and a half second later his guy would shoot. arg. I would be so pissed. So I appreciate you putting my fears to rest. If you are playing gears of war then I bet it rules.