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Help For A First Time Plasma Purchase - Looking At A Samsung Ps42d7hd


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Hello,

I've got a strict budget of $2500 and my local retailer will take this off my hands for a Samsung PS42D7HD (106cm HD unit)

Does anyone out there know much about this unit and are there any better units I should be loking for.

This sounds like a great price for the Samsung PS42D7HD, especially when the samsung website has a RRP of about $3800.

Any help or advice is greatly appreciated.

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Hello,

I've got a strict budget of $2500 and my local retailer will take this off my hands for a Samsung PS42D7HD (106cm HD unit)

Does anyone out there know much about this unit and are there any better units I should be loking for.

This sounds like a great price for the Samsung PS42D7HD, especially when the samsung website has a RRP of about $3800.

Any help or advice is greatly appreciated.

Hi all

I thought i let you know that this model is now finished. I confirmed this when i rang samsung sales. The new model is the PS42Q7HDX. It has the same specs except this one has optical out. The look is slightly different. The guy on the phone said it looked more stylish. No price info yet.

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Thanks everyone for your thoughts. Sounds like the Pana is getting a thumbs up, but other than the brand name, is there a difference in Picture quality, lower noise, less burn in, longer lifespan etc to make this a better unit?

On paper the Samsung looks pretty solid, and with a built in HD receiver. With no Optical out on this model, I can live without surround sound from free-to-air tv, especially as I don't really watch FTA TV for movies. Some of those commercials are bad enough in stereo :blink:

The surround matters most on DVD, and I get optical out via my DVD players.

FWIW, my TV signal is via Foxtel cable.

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Thanks everyone for your thoughts. Sounds like the Pana is getting a thumbs up, but other than the brand name, is there a difference in Picture quality, lower noise, less burn in, longer lifespan etc to make this a better unit?

Definitely. Best to compare it side by side with the Samsung for you to see. Samsung makes good LCDs but not plasma.

On paper the Samsung looks pretty solid, and with a built in HD receiver.

Yes, on paper. In reality is a different story. If you go for the Pana you'll only have to spend extra on the STB. For $400 you can get a quality HD STB these days.

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Thanks everyone for your thoughts. Sounds like the Pana is getting a thumbs up, but other than the brand name, is there a difference in Picture quality, lower noise, less burn in, longer lifespan etc to make this a better unit?

On paper the Samsung looks pretty solid, and with a built in HD receiver. With no Optical out on this model, I can live without surround sound from free-to-air tv, especially as I don't really watch FTA TV for movies. Some of those commercials are bad enough in stereo :blink:

The surround matters most on DVD, and I get optical out via my DVD players.

FWIW, my TV signal is via Foxtel cable.

The reason that the Panasonic has such a fan base is the quality of the picture. They have always had fantastic black levels and a great picture (It is telling that the Fujitsu 50" screen which was (argueably) the best of the 50" plasmas chose to use panasonic glass.) This is not to say that the other screens haven't caught up.

If you have any interest in the quality of the picture you must actually go and look at screens yourself somewhere where they are well set up. Paper shopping is a bit of a waste of time (unless image quality is not important).

Remember, check if the inbuilt tuner has a digital output so you can record the signal on a PVR (obviously not in HD). If you are wanting to record HD signals, you will be buying a HD PVR anyway, so dont need the internal tuner.

It would be worth posting your location so people can advise on some decent setups.

If you are in Sydney, Len Wallis (Lane Cove) is great to compare decen quality plasmas side by side that are well set up (but maybe think twice before you ask a price!). They didn't stock samsung previously.

J.

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Definitely. Best to compare it side by side with the Samsung for you to see. Samsung makes good LCDs but not plasma.

Yes, on paper. In reality is a different story. If you go for the Pana you'll only have to spend extra on the STB. For $400 you can get a quality HD STB these days.

Remember Woodie1 has a strict budget of $2500. Not sure if he can stretch an extra few hundred, but for that kinda money, the Samsung or LG is in that price range.

If he goes with the PV60A path, he'll have to spend extra on STB, decent cabling, plus extra $$ for warranty (to match Samsung's 3yr). All up probably looking at > $3000, that's 20% more than his budget. I'm sure everyone who has the Pana can say that extra's worth spending, but to Woodie1 it's another $500 that he didn't budget for.

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Remember Woodie1 has a strict budget of $2500. Not sure if he can stretch an extra few hundred, but for that kinda money, the Samsung or LG is in that price range.

If he goes with the PV60A path, he'll have to spend extra on STB, decent cabling, plus extra $$ for warranty (to match Samsung's 3yr). All up probably looking at > $3000, that's 20% more than his budget. I'm sure everyone who has the Pana can say that extra's worth spending, but to Woodie1 it's another $500 that he didn't budget for.

True, but sometimes one realises that ones budget is more flexible than one thought.

That old saying "The pain of poor quality lingers on long after the pleasure of low price wears off" has some relevence.

J.

At least this way they will make an informed decision.

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Thanks for this info. I'm in Hoppers Crossing - Vic, so my local JB Hi-Fi have a huge wall of plasma's.

The next footy season is months away, so I could make do a bit longer without digital TV. I'm starting to wonder whether to live with my Foxtel cable feed ( I think this is SD ), enjoy the best quality picture when watching DVD's and then try to work in a STB purchase early next year.

I had previously compared screens at JB, but was probably a bit biased towards the Samsung price tag. I'll try and get in there in the next couple of days to compare these 2 units and talk $$$.

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I know I can get the SamSung for appx $2500, but I just visited 4 stores and couldn't get the Pana under $2650 (even offered cash on the spot and couldn't budge it)

There is definately a picture quality difference, so I'm going to have to hold off a few days and really look hard at my budget.

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We got the Samsung for my Dad - he loves it. It's a great TV actually - can't fault the picture quality (I've got a Hitachi 8800, and I can't really say the pic quality is any better).

The Panasonic is probably 'better built', but IMO:

- it's uglier (hate the silver plasticky look - the previous model was much nicer)

- no integrated HD tuner

- only 1 year warranty (vs 2 years on Samsung)

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True, but sometimes one realises that ones budget is more flexible than one thought.

That old saying "The pain of poor quality lingers on long after the pleasure of low price wears off" has some relevence.

Scalpel was on the money, I looked at the 2 units side by side, researched a bit more, and changed a few plans and budgets to get the Pana.

Ended up getting it for $3030 with extended warranty & delivery (and also a $50 shopping voucher). Bought it at 4pm yesterday and it was at my doorstep by 8pm that night.

Now I'll have to work on buying a STB and upgrading my cabling, not for a little while though as I'm already pushing my luck with the better half :blink:

I set it up last night and despite needing a bit more attention to the settings, I'm very happy. Certainly a huge upgrade from my 68cm CRT and 66cm widescreen CRT.

Thanks for everyones help.

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