Plasma reliability and servicing ?

[admin_exported]

OK my Sony 50 bravia LCD projector has just packed up after only a year and a half :-(

So now I'm looking for something new LCD or Plasma minimum size 40" but I really want a 50" again, Plasma is looking the best for me at the moment but can someone tell me the truth of there reliability and what about having to get them re-gassed ?

I'm just after something I can put on the wall and forget like TV's of old I was after a Samsung LE46M86BD but they have no free view built in and I don't want another box and more wires !

 

[Andrew Everard]

Modern plasmas should be good for around 50,000 hours' use before the screen's down to half its original brightness.

 

[Anonymous]

Could you tell me the difference between Samsung (PS50Q96HDX) AND (PS50Q97HDX) I'v looked really hard but just cant see it but there is a smaall price difference ?

 

[Clare Newsome]

Ah, the joy of Samsung model numbers....

The Q96 is a DSG (Dixons Store Group - Dixons, Currys, PC World) exclusive version of the Q97, hence slight difference in pricing.

Samsung assures us the sets are the same. We've tested this in our forthcoming issue with its 40in models, and it seems to be the case for those - in the future, we'll be testing both '6 and' 7 versions of all its sets to ensure there are no differences.

 

[D.J.KRIME]

[quote user="fastfilli"]Plasma is looking the best for me at the moment but can someone tell me the
truth of there reliability and what about having to get them re-gassed ?[/quote]

Ah yes the classic line from the Sales team inside your local Currys etc that Plasmas need RE-GASSING, I have never head so much rubbish in my life, its not a air-conditioning unit!

 

[Anonymous]

If Plasmas need re-gassing then the store assistants in Curry's perhaps need re-placing

 

[Andrew Everard]

Love to know from fastfilli where the idea came from about re-gassing. Oh, and don't be surprised to be told that not only will it be required, but it's also covered by the extended warranty if you choose to pay for it.

 

[D.J.KRIME]

I must ask one of these sales people to show me where the tap is for this RE-Gassing next time I am in one of these stores as I cant find it on eithsr of my 2 plasmas. Also who do we get the gas from CALOR??? And to think that these people get paid for spouting this miss-information to the not always so savy public. Maybe it is all about selling Extended Warantrys? And who says I am untrusting when it comes to sales staff? Commission anyone!

 

[Andrew Everard]

Any technician trained in replacement of liquid or crystals should also be able to handle plasma gas recharging too, as well as organising a roll-call of the pixies who draw the pictures, to make sure none of them have nipped out through an unplugged HDMI socket.

Mind you, with over two million of them in a 1920x1080 display, it's easy for a few to slip out unnoticed: they often do this when the TV is switched off at night, then creep back in in the morning before you switch it on again.

 

[Anonymous]

I'll make sure that there is a guestlist at ChinaWhite in the name of Terry Pratchett for them Andrew.

:-D lol.

 

[D.J.KRIME]

Has anyone seen my lost gas plasma pixel number 300,016 as he seams to have got lost comming home last night. He answers to the name of Urban Myth!

 

[Andrew Everard]

This little pixel went to market...

 

[D.J.KRIME]

And this little pixel went weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee all the way to the gas plasma re-charging department! LOL

 

[Anonymous]

I havent looked at this thread for a bit it seems you have all been busy since the last time I looked !

You have all put me at rest on the plasma reliability thing I guess its just as good as any other form of TV now .

I got my reliability questions from people like my Dad who cant even txt on a mobile ,friends and 17 year old spotty sales men, none of which have plasma TV's thats why I had to ask!

Back to my question about the Samsung (PS50Q96HDX) AND (PS50Q97HDX) in this months what HI FI it seems to be saying that the Dixons Group TV's have tighter quality control with Samsung so would you recomend I go with them even though I can get it cheeper of other places on the NET if I want a Samsung ?

 

[Anonymous]

You haven't been smoking something funny have you?

What gives you the impression that Dixons group have a tighter control over Samsung?

Dixons just happen to buy in bulk, hence their online prices in particulart are pretty competitive, though ironically their staff in Currys have a job and a half on their hands trying to move all this stock as their high street prices are significantly higher.

In fact one chap in Currys today told me that they are rather annoyed at the Dixons Group undercutting their own Curry Stores and perhaps even comprising their jobs on the high street as many people knowing that they can but from Dixons online much cheaper use the Curry high street stores to window shop and have a look at the TV's in action before going home and getting on the Net to order them from Dixons instead.

Anyhow I have learned that the Samsung (PS50Q96HDX) AND (PS50Q97HDX) are one and the same TV and I rate them much higher than either the equivalent Panasonic or Pioneer. The pictures are life like.

 

[Anonymous]

Quote What HI FI Novenber 2007 page 49 "TWO REVIEWS in one? let us explane: Samsung has launched two supposedly identical 40in LCD TV's. One the LE40M86, is only available through the Dixons Group, while the LE40M87 is availible to mortals elswhere."- "the first sample of the '87 we saw was so inferior to the '86 that we asked for another one. The second sample was much nearer in quality to the '86 but we still fancied the '86 more."