You can now get a 42" - 720p Plasma from a brand-name manufacturer for about $400. Their 1080p cousins aren't far behind, and I was wondering if you think those prices will drop even more. I wouldn't mind upgrading this year to a 50" or 55' - 1080p Plasma (from my 42"-720p Panny that's almost 4 yrs old).
What are your opinions on this?
John
PS: Not interested in 3D for at least a few more years.
I don't know if thats the bottom or not, but it's pretty close. Of course you can still pay $4500 for a 60" Sony XBR, that in a few pretty important ways is inferior to that 42" 720p plasma, if that's your inclination. A 720p plasma is not only a raging bargain, it's a really great TV. If you're looking for a 50, though, I might wait until Panasonic's new G series hit the market. They will have the 3D option, but you don't have to use it, and the former Panasonic Gs were absolutely the most bang for the buck on the market -- 1080, THX, 24p cinema, oblong plasma bubble for brighter picture, infinite black, and most importantly, a top-shelf video processor -- all for street prices of around $1100 for a 50".
To my eye, FWIW, the low-end Samsung plasmas are a tad cleaner than the Panasonics which, a couple of years ago, switched to a cheaper video processor for everything below the G. If you look really close, you can see a bit of noise in the cheaper Pannys. Really close. From a normal viewing distance, not so much. For that matter, it's unlikely you could discriminate between 720 and 1080 from a normal viewing distance on anything smaller than a 55.
Tim