BB: Panasonic 56'' 1080p HDTV $999.99

[Drunkentig3r]

Don't know whether this deal is hot enough for you guys, since I'm not as well-versed on HDTV's beyond the basics, but I just spotted this over at Best Buy's website.

Panasonic 56'' 1080p Rear Projection LCD HDTV

Model #: PT-56LCZ70

SKU: 8396032

 

[AmpedSilence]

Not terrible. but the contrast ratio sucks.

 

[Ricochet]

Originally posted by: AmpedSilence
Not terrible. but the contrast ratio sucks.

Are you saying the contrast sucks based on personal viewing? Because there are those who would say the contrast ratio is arbitrary from one manufacturer to the other so comparing contrast ratio is almost meaningless.

Anyway, that's a pretty d@mn good price for a name brand 56" 1080p HDTV.

 

[lupi]

If it was a plasma I'd pick up 2.

 

[johnnobts]

almost bought this, available at sams club with matching stand (they are expensive) for $1,200. bought an led samsung rptv instead.

 

[Odeen]

Rear Projection LCD is fairly outdated technology these days. The reason is that you see the control wires that are laid inbetween the pixels on the miniature LCD panel. With the LCD panel being blown up to a 56" screen, the wires create a "screen door" effect on the image.

DLP and LCOS do not suffer from this problem - DLP has a seamless moving mirror panel with the mirrors a) controlled from the back and b) moving back and forth at 120hz, each mirror lighting up two parts of the screen. LCOS has the same LCD panel integrated onto the mirror - the control circuitry can then reside BEHIND the mirror, making the LCD seamless.

Still, 56" for $1000 is pretty impressive if you sit back far enough.

 

[saya2005]

Showing regular price now ... $1699

 

[yhelothar]

Originally posted by: Odeen
Rear Projection LCD is fairly outdated technology these days. The reason is that you see the control wires that are laid inbetween the pixels on the miniature LCD panel. With the LCD panel being blown up to a 56" screen, the wires create a "screen door" effect on the image.

DLP and LCOS do not suffer from this problem - DLP has a seamless moving mirror panel with the mirrors a) controlled from the back and b) moving back and forth at 120hz, each mirror lighting up two parts of the screen. LCOS has the same LCD panel integrated onto the mirror - the control circuitry can then reside BEHIND the mirror, making the LCD seamless.

Still, 56" for $1000 is pretty impressive if you sit back far enough.

DLP has their own drawbacks too, like the claymonster effect and the rainbow effect.

RPLCD TVs are generally considered on the same level, technologically, as DLP though.

 

[Wag]

Tempting but RPTV's are obsolete technology, that's why they are so cheap. Nobody wants them anymore and they are becoming phased out.

FYI: I currently own a 56" 720p Samsung DLP and it has a problem already with a dark line down the right side, so at $1000 I'd love to replace it with a TV this size, it doesn't even pay to repair it as they want $400. Is it worth it to wait for this to come around again or should I just suck it up and pick up one of the 46" flatpanel LCDs instead?

 

[maxcom]

my 60" Proscan is almost 10yrs old and has a great picture but when it dies it will be plasma time

 

[skriefal]

It'd cost about $1500 to replace your DLP with a new 56-inch Samsung DLP set. And you believe it's not worthwhile to spend a mere $400 to repair it?

I'm more interested in video quality, screen size, and value (cost per screen inch, etc). RPTV is still the way to go for screen sizes above 50 or 52 inches, unless you value 'style' more than price/performance.

 

[johnnobts]

dlp rptv has better contrast than most lcds, is cheaper than plasma... I got a samsung LED RPTV, bulb life is 20,000 hours. 10,000:1 contrast, 1080p... rptv is cheap to boot.

 

[Avalon]

Originally posted by: astroidea

Originally posted by: Odeen
Rear Projection LCD is fairly outdated technology these days. The reason is that you see the control wires that are laid inbetween the pixels on the miniature LCD panel. With the LCD panel being blown up to a 56" screen, the wires create a "screen door" effect on the image.

DLP and LCOS do not suffer from this problem - DLP has a seamless moving mirror panel with the mirrors a) controlled from the back and b) moving back and forth at 120hz, each mirror lighting up two parts of the screen. LCOS has the same LCD panel integrated onto the mirror - the control circuitry can then reside BEHIND the mirror, making the LCD seamless.

Still, 56" for $1000 is pretty impressive if you sit back far enough.

DLP has their own drawbacks too, like the claymonster effect and the rainbow effect.

RPLCD TVs are generally considered on the same level, technologically, as DLP though.

Not sure what the clay monster effect is, but the rainbow effect isn't going to happen on a modern DLP with a three chip DLP design.

 

[skriefal]

This is first I've heard of anyone using the term "claymonster effect". Perhaps it's a reference to what is usually referred to as SSE (silk-screen effect)?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silk_screen_effect

 

[Wag]

No way in hell am I paying one red cent to Samsung to repair my problem that happened only 17-18mos into ownership (this is a $2K TV mind you). This DLP is only a 720P model with a color wheel and the Light tunnel collapsed. This is a really common problem with Samsung DLPs, and once repaired there is no gurantee it won't happen again either- don't believe me? Check out THIS THREAD on AVSForum with other people's experiences. Pretty disgracefull. Samsung should really do a full recall on a few models of these TVs but then they'd be recalling millions of them which is something they'd never admit.

At least this Panasonic model doesn't have a color wheel so I wouldn't have to worry about this problem ever happening, and the bulb is warrantied for 5yrs. Plus I'm getting an upgrade to 1080P to boot.