Panasonic 65ST50 or LG 60PM6700

[sCythEroXx]

I know there is lot of information. People have praised ST50 to an extent that LG does not even look like an option.
The data
- given today 24 June 2012 prices, the difference is about $800 with LG getting two glasses free. (checked Amazon n Paul's)
- right comparison would be 60ST50 for pricing but why not go bigger if available
- I feel for price of 65st50 I could buy myself LG PM6700 and a Onkyo s9400, both thx and a super combo for about $2000. My initial tv budget was $1500 and $2000 for combo.
The questions:
- how bad is glare or reflection in LG, I read people complain. I am not videophile and usually used to draw curtains when I watched my 46" Samsung LCD (that's where I m upgrading from)
- 60 vs 65" how much difference in longer run

viewing distance is about 9-10 feet and I definitely want a Home theatre (is 9400 ok or save money n go s3400 or 5400) and I should be able to control lighting in room.

I can put all money into 65st50 or 65gt50 but will have to manage without HT for a few months.

btw will waiting for 4th July or going to Costco help get better deal?

Thanks in advance for any pointers/guidance.

[Dierk]

...
- given today 24 June 2012 prices, the difference is about $800 with LG getting two glasses free. (checked Amazon n Paul's)
- right comparison would be 60ST50 for pricing but why not go bigger if available
- I feel for price of 65st50 I could buy myself LG PM6700 and a Onkyo s9400, both thx and a super combo for about $2000. My initial tv budget was $1500 and $2000 for combo.
....
- 60 vs 65" how much difference in longer run

viewing distance is about 9-10 feet and I definitely want a Home theatre (is 9400 ok or save money n go s3400 or 5400) and I should be able to control lighting in room.

I can put all money into 65st50 or 65gt50 but will have to manage without HT for a few months.

btw will waiting for 4th July or going to Costco help get better deal?....

A few thoughts:

Coming from a 46" tv, and given a 9-10 foot viewing distance, a 60" panel will (at least initially) look HUGE. (Personal opinion, having jumped from a 50" to a 60", also at 9ft distance.)
Per Display Wars, you would be gaining 70% more viewing area (visit their site for a visual representation!).

Moving from a 60" to a 65" panel "only" gains you an additional 17% viewing area. This is starting from a higher base, of course, but is still not a Dramatic increase.


Blu-rays - and/or HD DVDs - will look Wonderful at 9ft on a 60" panel, and presumably would look Even More Wonderful on a 65" panel.

HOWEVER: At 9Feet, a 60" Panel will VERY CLEARLY reveal the Inherent Flaws in SD DVDs, along with MOST "HD TV" programing, and just about any other source that is less-than-ideal (including most "Streaming" services").
Could only expect that a 65" panel would accentuate these "revelations."

How much of a Blind Eye are you willing / able to turn?

How much of your Normal Programming is LESS THEN Blu-rays?

Personal Experience again: We thought that "Upconverted" SD DVDs, as well as our Uverse HD TV service, provided consistently Pretty Darn Good PQ. And they do - at 9 to 10 feet - ON OUR 50" PANEL!
On the 60", these sources provide consistently "OK" PQ, rising up to Pretty Darn Good at times, but - & More Often - falling to "Hey, when did VHS come back?!?" levels....

..........

As important as the HDTV obviously is in a Home Theater arrangement, we find that a LOT of the pleasure of viewing movies comes from the Audio component.
From that perspective, would encourage you to allow a sufficient budget to include good quality speakers, at least 5.1 of course, and would willingly trade 5" of screen size for the ability to obtain Better Sound.

The S9400 HTIB system has very positive user reviews, and seems to be a cut above the cheapness that often comes in those packages. (Albeit at a somewhat higher price, of course!)

..........

We have purchased a couple of TVs from Costco, and very much appreciate their 90-day return policy, AND the Included 2-year warranty.
Note, however, that 1) Costco's prices vary in comparison to other outlets, and while OFTEN a relative bargain (giving value to the Return Policy & 2 Year Warranty), they are not Certain to be the least expensive option; and 2) Costco carries a LIMITED number of brands / models - with mid- to upper-line sets often only showing up Late in the model year, if at all.
Their selection of PLASMA panels has been particularly limited - although note that local stores often carry stock that does NOT show up on their website. Similarly, we have several "local" Costco outlets, and the inventory is often different from store-to-store.

..........

Cannot help very much with the LG. Our main set is now a 60" ST50, and we are very happy with it (SD material notwithstanding), and obviously the reviews have been excellent.

At the same time, the LG panel offers very handsome styling, and (from memory) a MUCH Broader array of user controls than the ST50 does.
We've seen the "Step Down"model - the PA6500/6550 - in a number of local stores, and have always been impressed with the styling, the Bright picture, and seemingly rich colors - particularly given the usual Store environments.

Historically, I think Panasonic has made a better tv - both in terms of performance and reliability - but they have also stumbled a bit in the past few years, so who knows what the 2012 models will look like from the perspective of another 3 - 5 years??

Would guess that if you visited Amazon you would find that the vast majority of LG PM6700 owners are VERY PLEASED with their sets - and there is probably no reason why you would not be as well.

In short, I don't think that there is a WRONG choice here - barring information that I am unaware of - as the performance & feature sets of the two each make trade-offs that could make one more attractive to a given buyer....

Best of Luck!

[sCythEroXx]

Thanks for your wonderful reply Dierk. Really great points.

I went to BB today with my wife and I was amazed how all the LED TV catch one's eyes and Plasmas looked so dull. They only had the 60PA6500 on display which was marred by bad placement and had too many reflections that it was totally uninteresting. I presume 6700 won't have greater picture quality than that. The TV was acting like a semi mirror thanks to all the lighting.

I also saw they had 65ST30 on display and it definitely caught my eye. It was set in a darker room and another tv was ruining some picture from the back but it was still good. They did not even lip sync the scenes of movie and somehow sales guy was not interested.S
The good is that it felt that my eyes are not getting hurt watching that tv, it was pleasant compared to overly bright LEDs out there.

I am still in a soup and feel that I am spending too much time reading about TVs (already have put multiple hours/days and my head is aching). I have had LCD experience from my last tv and I think it will take a little time to adjust to plasma and to get settings right, but I want to try it.

I want to end this ordeal of finding the best tv for least price, it's a stupid goal, but one all geeks go through. I am pretty sure I will extended hours in reading the forums again on the best calibrations

To be frank I did appreciate the 65" screen and I feel I could have it setup well in my room. But now the second biggest question comes: 65ST30 vs 65GT30 vs 65GT50 vs 65ST50. (if we take PM6700 out of way, looks logical)
65GT50 is feels a little high in price for me (can get two 6700 in that price) and even ST50 looks very high with all the items I need to buy afterwards. But people have reported issues in ST30 and GT30. What would be a right TV which will last me at least 2 years as best value for money and I won't regret it. At one point I was so frustated I started looking at LCD/LEDs as options (Sharp 60 inch). After seeing 65", 60" inch looks like a compromise

Consideration: I have a 1 year old at home, I want to TV to go light on him i.e. his eyes should not be affected. (Currently he does not watch lot of tv, but having that big in the house will surely attract his attention)

Coming to content I mostly try to watch 1080p or 720p movies on my htpc (xbmc) setup. I want that experience to be top notch.

Thanks for the help & understanding.

PS: Also thanks admins for auto feature of saving replies :D

[Ntruder]

Thanks for your wonderful reply Dierk. Really great points.

I went to BB today with my wife and I was amazed how all the LED TV catch one's eyes and Plasmas looked so dull. They only had the 60PA6500 on display which was marred by bad placement and had too many reflections that it was totally uninteresting. I presume 6700 won't have greater picture quality than that. The TV was acting like a semi mirror thanks to all the lighting.

Blown out, exaggerated colors that BB usually displays on their LED's is certainly eye catching; they're eye catching because the colors are more saturated than real life. Its like seeing a red corvette that literally glows red. Its eye catching, but its not realistic, and its not pleasant to look at for hours in a dark theater room. What you want for a dark theater room is accurate, lifelike color tones. The ST50 is going to blow the LM6700 out of the water in these categories, as well as overall picture quality; black levels, motion, color accuracy, etc.

[MCS]

I know what you are going thru, myself was at it for several months. I finally bit the bullet and went with the 60GT50 and the Panasonic SC-BTT195 home theater. The whole thing including cabling, power supply, wall mounts, tv stand, $3500 so far. I didn't purchase the glasses yet either, blind in one eye, so they have little appeal to me.

[Dierk]

....I went to BB today with my wife and I was amazed how all the LED TV catch one's eyes and Plasmas looked so dull. They only had the 60PA6500 on display which was marred by bad placement and had too many reflections that it was totally uninteresting.

As has already been pointed out, please Ignore the advantage that LCD (LED/LCD) panels appear to have at BestBuy - or in most store environments.
Unless, of course, that is the environment in which you plan on actually Watching TV!

The PM6700 might have an AR filter (their top line plasma actually has a matte-finish screen!), but I would not want to bet on it ("Super Black Level" is the terminology used - whereas the 9700 has a "TruBlack Filter" - might not be exact terminology LG uses, but close enough...).

But, yes, the PA6500 will be reflective as all get-out - as are most of the entry- to lower-mid-level panels - of all three major plasma brands.

Note that many of the newer LCD panels are ALSO Glossy Finished, and thus prone to reflections. So much so, that CNet actually has a listing of the Matte Screen LCD panels, for those especially worried about reflections.

I also saw they had 65ST30 on display and it definitely caught my eye.

I really dislike saying this, but I would NOT recommend the ST30 - unless it was available at a Substantial Discount, and with AT LEAST a 30-day return period.

Disclaimer: We had a poor experience with 2011 Pan Plasmas (a number of them, in fact), which I won't bother repeating here.
A number of other owners have also reported problems - but, to be fair, would guess that MOST owners are Very Happy with their 2011 sets...

I am still in a soup and feel that I am spending too much time reading about TVs (already have put multiple hours/days and my head is aching). ...
I want to end this ordeal of finding the best tv for least price, it's a stupid goal, but one all geeks go through....

Welcome to the club!

To be frank I did appreciate the 65" screen and I feel I could have it setup well in my room. But now the second biggest question comes: 65ST30 vs 65GT30 vs 65GT50 vs 65ST50. (if we take PM6700 out of way, looks logical).....

The ST50 is an appreciable step up from the ST30. The GT50 is a relatively minor step up from the ST50 - it adds some nice features, & arguably better styling, but probably not enough to justify the price increase for MOST users. If someone offered to GIVE us one, would take the GT without a second thought - but when spending OUR OWN $$ - well.... (We own a ST....)

As a curve ball: the other panel that I would place on my "Comparison List" is the Samsung E6500. Don't know what the Pricing looks like next to the ST50 - or even what sizes the E6500 is available in - but the CNet review gave it high praise.

Consideration: I have a 1 year old at home,.... Currently he does not watch lot of tv, but having that big in the house will surely attract his attention...

Yes, a large tv is likely to attract attention. And - as you probably already know - kids LOVE to Touch Things. Particularly things that are Bright; Light Up; and/or Reflect....

We now have Grandkids - 3yo & 1.5 yo - and they LOVE the 50" Pan in our LR. Much to my chagrin....

We have "coffee tables," both upstairs & down, that I Carefully Position in front of each of the larger panels when the kids are visiting, as these provide a bit of a buffer.

Of course, the odd fingerprint is one thing - of greater concern would be the possibilities of 1) Thrown Toys breaking the panel - an event which has been reported several times on various boards; and 2) A child deciding that the TV would make a nice CLIMBING PLATFORM!
This later event, of course, raises the difficult possibility of having to decide whether to be more concerned about the Crashed TV - OR the Crashed Upon Child!

HINT: The cause of Marital Peace requires that the CHILD be given first consideration.
The tv can be mourned later - in private!


PS: Middle daughter & husband - responsible for the kids... - have mounted their tv on a fairly high stand - and also have it tethered to the back wall. (Using a Strap that CAME with the TV! - A 50" Samsung plasma).

Our eldest son has a tv stand that has its own built in "wall mount" - a tube rises from the rear of the stand & has a tv mount attached to it. Provides for some vertical flexibility, AND seems quite secure (that is, very unlikely to tip over!).

[sCythEroXx]

Thank you so much for your replies Ntruder and Deirk.

Ntruder, I was talking about PM6700 and not LM6700, the price difference is substantial between 60PM6700 and 65ST50, close to $1000 which has got me thinking, sure ST50 has those extra 5 inches but $1000 is a lot. I can afford nice TV stand and home theatre in that budget. I have newly moved here, I need to buy every single piece of furniture. Some of the money I save also need to go in a nice recliner to complete the setup

Dierk,
I finally bit the bullet and ordered LG 60PM6700 from Amazon last night, the offer was too good to resist as I was getting two free pairs of Active 3d glasses and the magic remote was just $15. I ordered the Onkyo 9400 from Newegg as there were not charging taxes thus saving additional $70.

All other places had the LG TV at same prices but only Amazon had the goggles free and somehow it felt that returns or refunds should be easier with them.

Coming back to the suggestions, what I have thought now is that I will go ahead with 60PM6700, in all likely hood I should like it and manage with reflections. (Even today with Samsung and Toshiba LCDs that I use, I have to turn off the lights and draw curtains to watch my favorite movies/shows).

If for some reason I don't like it I can always return and upgrade to Panasonic ST50, 60" or 65" inches (an idea which I will get after I setup the 60" in my room).

Thanks all, the set will arrive next week about July 2, I will post back with my impressions and any information that new people in market maybe looking for.

PS: Luckily the price of set jumped $50 after I placed the order :D (Overall about $200 saved). Now the anxiety begins.....

[sCythEroXx]

Dierk

Also thanks for the wonderful tips on the furniture. Do you recall what brand/name/price of that tv stand which your elder son has, it looks like an interesting piece as my kid ran towards my friends lowly installed 55" inch tv.

BTW I am also using the same concept of placing the coffee table to buffer the kid from tv, kinect etc

On a general note, which of the stores (ikea, home depot, fred meyer etc) carry the cheapest and good selection of TV stands and recliners.

[Ntruder]

Ntruder, I was talking about PM6700 and not LM6700,

Doh, my bad. You can see I'm not a big LG product follower. I was going to say, the LM6700 doesn't hold a candle to even entry level plasma sets.

[Dierk]

....
Also thanks for the wonderful tips on the furniture. Do you recall what brand/name/price of that tv stand which your elder son has, it looks like an interesting piece as my kid ran towards my friends lowly installed 55" inch tv.

BTW I am also using the same concept of placing the coffee table to buffer the kid from tv, kinect etc

On a general note, which of the stores (ikea, home depot, fred meyer etc) carry the cheapest and good selection of TV stands and recliners.

No. 1 Son tells me his stand is a Omnimount Moda Echo FP50. I think it is a handsome stand, but agree with his assessment that it has proven "difficult to work with," having recently helped him Unmount his 46" Pan, and then Mount a new 50" Pan - we had to visit a local hardware store & cobble together some SPACERS in order to fit the Pan's Power Cord around the mount!

His recommendation - undoubtedly factoring Cost into the picture - would be one of the Z-Line models (available at Meijer, and perhaps CostCo), or the "rebranded" stands at Walmart (!).


If you are NOT using a TV Stand with a built-in Mount - that is, if you are planning to place the TV, mounted on its own stand, on the top surface of a piece of furniture - would recommend that you buy something with a Weight Rating that is SAFELY HIGH. That is, well above the weight of your TV, plus any gear you intend to place on it.

Also check the weight rating of any secondary shelving - we saw a stand that had an extremely LOW weight spec for some its shelves, even though the "holds tvs up to..." spec seemed just fine.

..........

Several of our kids have stands / shelving from Ikea - not all for TV use - including the tallish unit our middle daughter & husband have their 50" Samsung on.
I think you need to use a bit of common sense when looking at their units, but at least some of their stuff seems up to the task.

Pretty sure our 50" Pan is sitting on a stand that came from TARGET - this is a nice looking dark RTA unit with a matching independent component shelf, but (in spite of its weight rating) I am not impressed with the unit. (Actually, we bought it FROM our eldest son when he picked up the Omnimount stand.)


Our 60" Pan sits on a very nice stand we picked up from Circuit City - some years ago now. Don't recall the brand, but it has a "floating" top shelf of glass, and "real wood veneer" (!) finish on the balance. As far as I can recall, this stand has held a 36" CRT (talk about HEAVY!); a 42" Plasma; a 50" Plasma, and now a 60" Plasma. (The 50" was about the "perfect" size: the 60" overhangs each end - slightly - but is well beneath the rather incredible 350lb Top Shelf Weight Rating!)

However, am beginning to wonder whether or not "Glass Fatigue" is as much of a problem as "Metal Fatigue" can be!

In thinking about the stands for the 50" & 60": Consider the Size & Location of your Center Channel speaker, assuming you'll run one.
And also any other gear you intend to place on the stand....