Comments for Refurbished Plasma HDTV

Comment on FAIL Robot Monkey Funny.Video Toy Review by Mike Mozart of JeepersMedia on YouTube EPIC by daredevilpre

daredevilpre — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 10:43:24 +0000

This was one of the best episodes ever. What an awesomely freaked out toy, I would buy one but I am pretty sure my dog would murder it to pieces as soon as I go to sleep.

Comment on Samsung HP-S4253 42-Inch Plasma HDTV by Chris Caspen

Chris Caspen — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 09:39:29 +0000

Review by Chris Caspen for Samsung HP-S4253 42-Inch Plasma HDTV Rating: The Samsung HP-S4253 42" Plasma HDTV is definately a step up in all areas from it's previous Samsung plasma TV models. It's able to produce a 536 Billion color gamut. This sounds like a big number, and it is, but just for comparison an LCD generally produces about a 6 million color gamut (some are higher and some are lower) yes that's million and not billion. A single chip DLP projection TV will produce even less then that. However, 536 billion is not a huge number when compared to other plasma TVs, infact it typical of most Plasma TVs (Another reason for Plasma over LCD). The 10000:1 contrast ratio is one reason this gamut is possible on a plasma.
The Samsung HP-S4253 42" Plasma HDTV features two High-Definition-Multimedia-Interface inputs which is ideal for your next generation DVD players, your HDTV source (satalite/cable), or your 7.1 surround sound system. 2 inputs are better than 1 epecially when it comes to HDMI, where an HDMI splitter retails for over $100.
The television also is equipped with a built in ATSC-tuner so you'll be ready for free over-the-air High definition or digital broadcasts.
The television looks brilliant from both a graphical stand point and also an aesthetic one. The HP-S4253 looks beautiful with a sleek piano black finish which can easily be mounted on a wall or set on any suitable surface. It has to be one of the most aesthetically pleasing plasma's on the market, as long as you keep it dust free as it seems that dust is more noticable on this television than others.

Comment on Samsung HP-S4253 42-Inch Plasma HDTV by D. Babiy

D. Babiy — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 08:46:56 +0000

Review by D. Babiy for Samsung HP-S4253 42-Inch Plasma HDTV Rating: I did a bunch of comparison shopping before I settled on this one. In this price range it was down to 3 plasmas, the Panasonic TH-42PX60U, Hitachi 42HDS69 and this Samsung HP-S4253. I did my research online, and there are plenty of people praising all the models, each with their own issues. Apparently the Panasonic has "clay-face", Hitachi has a green push, and this Samsung is a "buzzer". I went to best buy and circuit city to take a look for myself. Each store I went into I felt differently... because stores don't calibrate the monitors they get and I was seeing different results. Customers play around with the image settings, leave it looking crappy, and others judge the TV based on what they see without checking settings. Anyway, after I played around with the settings of the all the TV's... I did notice the Hitachi's green push which bothered me enough to take it off the list. Now the Panasonic does have a great picture but the case (matte silver with matte black frame) just makes it look a bit cheap and not as slick as the Samsung. The Samsung with its shiny black finish looks much richer in my point of view. Since picture quality is great on both monitors the only things that was worrying me is to get a "buzzer" which quite a few people complained on forums about. Its natural for all plasmas to buzz a little bit when your ear is 1-2 ft away. But some say they get buzzing sitting on the couch. I decided to take the chance and made sure when delivery came, I took it out and turned it on before I signed for it with the deliver guy. If it was going to buzz loudly I was planning on simply declining it, but luckily I got a good one.

Now I must say I don't know how SD quality picture compares between the Samsung and the Panasonic since I don't have them side by side and in store they were all showing HD pictures... but I have to say that SOME SD channels on my Samsung look crappy while majority of the others are perfectly fine, it really depends on the quality of the broadcast. I watch mostly HD and DVDs so i'm fine.

Regarding burn-ins... all plasmas suffer from this, so just try not to watch anything with black bars on the side for too long... and its also recommended that for the first 100 hours you "Break in" your TV by watching things with picture settings at no more then 50... which is a bit dull, but I'm willing to deal with it for a bit if it prolongs the life of the set in the long run.

Also if you want to calibrate the monitor yourself you can get the AVIA dvd calibration... or you can try the settings I got.

DNIE - Turn it off (it makes the blacks way too black and you loose shadow detail)
Contrast - 80
Brightness - 67
Sharpness - 20
Color - 50 (I don't have the color filters to properly adjust this, but it looks great to me so I left it at 50)
Color Temp - Cool 1 (the warmer temps make things a bit too orangey for me, just pay attention to whites when changing this)

Comment on Samsung HP-S4253 42-Inch Plasma HDTV by Ricky R. Dearstyne

Ricky R. Dearstyne — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 07:55:01 +0000

Review by Ricky R. Dearstyne for Samsung HP-S4253 42-Inch Plasma HDTV Rating: I purchased this plasma via Amazon after extensive research in store and by reading many reviews on-line. The purchase and delivery process went smooth. That's where my good comments stop and the problems began. The TV had a great picture, awesome in fact, but there was an audible buzzing sound as soon as the TV was hooked up. Time Warner came to my house 2x and gave their equipment a thumbs up. In fact they brought their own plasma, high def TV and hooked it up without a problem. This is when Samsung's "authorized" service people came into the picture. After 2 trips to my house, they took the tv away for service, brought it back 11 days later, and it still buzzed. I refused to accept delivery. The service people are now trying to blame the wiring in my house or the cable equipment(again). Samsung has to this point refused to give me an exchange or refund my money. Seven weeks after purchasing this product in good faith, all that I have to show for it are an increased cable bill (for high def) and a mounting plate on the wall where the tv should be. I make these comments about service, because when you buy a product like this, the service is an important component; just as important as the product itself.

Comment on Samsung HP-S4253 42-Inch Plasma HDTV by Kevin Mccarthy Jr.

Kevin Mccarthy Jr. — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 07:22:40 +0000

Review by Kevin Mccarthy Jr. for Samsung HP-S4253 42-Inch Plasma HDTV Rating: After spending 6 months researching HDTVs I got this Tv over Memorial Day weekend from Amazon for a great deal, $1899.99. No shipping and no tax can't beat the price for one of the better plasmas on the market.
But there are a couple of issues with this tv. Don't buy it over the panasonic because of its PIP option. The PIP can only be used when a HDMI tv feed is on or another hookup besides componenet for television viewing. This leads to the other problem.
There is a glitch with the HDMI. So if you are utilizing the AV ports for a playstation or DVD player the tv can't understand which source to pick. So if you are watching tv, But then want to watch a DVD you can change the source to the DVD player (the AV input) but when the movie is done you can't switch back to the HDMI input. The tv no longer recognizes the connection. This was a great pain for me. I purchased a HDMI/DVI wire for my cable box. And the first time a changed the source to the AV for my playstation and I was able to play it but when I was done the HDMI feed was no longer an option. So I spent the next day and a half going through my connections and calling the cable company which told me to contact my tv manufacturer. Samsung said that the tv has a glitch and the tv must be reset (there is no mention of how to reset the tv in the owner manual). So now everytime a change the source to the av port I must reset the tv whcih consists of unplugging the tv waiting 30 seconds, hitting the power button on the tv itself 10 times, plugging the tv back in, turning the tv on and switching the source.
This problem doesn't occur if your cable is hooked up via component and the picture is basically as good as the HDMI feed(I will proably switch it back to component once a get over that a spent $100 on a Monster DVI to HDMI cable and won't use it.
Other than that te tv is great. It has a much better appearance over the panasonic. HDTV is awesome. SD is ok; comes in better for some some stations than oters. Speakers are above average. Overall this is a very impressive tv if you can get beyond the glitch. Sports are amazing feels like you are there, nature shows are extremely impressive. The TV has great colors and true blacks.

Comment on Samsung HP-S4253 42-Inch Plasma HDTV by Robert E. Huebner

Robert E. Huebner — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 06:31:37 +0000

Review by Robert E. Huebner for Samsung HP-S4253 42-Inch Plasma HDTV Rating: I was an early adopter of Plasma technology and have owned a Pioneer 50" Plasma as my main display for a few years now. I love Plasma in general, so decided, now that prices are coming down from the stratosphere, to get a second plasma set for a bedroom TV. All I can say is things have really come a long way! Early plasmas had problems displaying detail in dark scenes, but new models such as this Samsung have come much closer to solving this problem.

I auditioned dozens of sets at multiple dealerships and did a lot of side-by-side comparisons and adjustments, and determined that these newest Samsung sets represent the best blend of performance, quality, and cost. My requirements were to have at least 2 HDMI slots, since this is the future for high-definition connectivity, be 37" or 42" in size, and have the best quality picture I could afford.

A lot of on-line advice pointed to the Panasonic as the one to get so I went into this fully expecting to end up with a Panny, but after much side-by-side between the Samsung 4253 and the newest Panasonics, there was no contest - the Samsung has more natural looking color gradiations, the Panasonic looked odd and banded in appearance. I verified this at multiple vendors and side-by-side.

Be careful however not to get re-directed to the previous generation Samsung models, many of which are still on the market and sold as new. Samsung seems to be replacing their lined up with these newer sets in a graudal manner. At least two other 42" models ending in "2" instead of "3" can be found at various retailers. To me, these older sets did not measure up to the visual fidelity in the "3" series. Over time I'm sure Samsung will make "3" versions of their other sets, so if you need one with a CableCard tuner or something, I'd wait a while. Also I wish this set had more stretch options for dealing with 4:3 inputs. The only options for HD signals are 16:9 or 4:3 with bars, neither of which helps deal with HD signals that are letterboxed AND 4:3 (common for cable boxes that up-convert letterbox SDTV material). I'm not sure which sets do have these stretch modes, but I beleive some do.

Also, Plasmas are moving very fast right now, with Pioneer due to release new models any day, among others. Waiting a bit longer if you're in no hurry may turn up a set even better than this at the same price. But as of Spring 2006, I am very confident this is the best 42" plasma in the ~$2k range.

Comment on Panasonic VIERA S1 Series TC-P42S1 42-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV by Phil Baumert

Phil Baumert — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 03:41:03 +0000

Review by Phil Baumert for Panasonic VIERA S1 Series TC-P42S1 42-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV Rating: I bought this when my 37" Olevia LCD went out on me after 2 years. Thought I would go with a name brand TV this time. I too was looking for LCD's but noticed how much better the picture was on the Panasonic Plasma's. The price wasn't much different either. I settled on the TC-P42S1 and absolutely love it. It was an easy setup and it has many features you can tweak to make the picture perfect for your room.

Comment on Panasonic VIERA S1 Series TC-P42S1 42-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV by B. Elkins

B. Elkins — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 02:49:51 +0000

Review by B. Elkins for Panasonic VIERA S1 Series TC-P42S1 42-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV Rating: I trusted the feedback that others had listed about this TV on Amazon and I was not disappointed. The TV is great! Intuitive user controls, simple remote (some may argue too simple), looks great, etc. Most importantly, the picture is phenomenal and there is no motion blur to speak of! I agonized over the LCD or Plasma decision because our living room is very bright, but the bottom line is I did not want even a little motion blur during sports so I went with plasma for the better refresh rate (600hz). This TV is plenty bright for our sunny living room.

Things to be aware of: 1. This TV has only two HDMI inputs in back, the third is on the side. 2. The stand sticks out 5 inches from the front of the TV which can be an issue if you are putting it into an enclosure because it has to be recessed at least 5 inches.

All in all great TV and might I add great ordering and delivery experience with Amazon!

Comment on Panasonic VIERA S1 Series TC-P42S1 42-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV by VitaminZinc

VitaminZinc — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 01:55:53 +0000

Review by VitaminZinc for Panasonic VIERA S1 Series TC-P42S1 42-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV Rating: I've been looking for a new TV to replace my 26" tube TV for at least a year or more. Everything I was looking at was quite expensive. Well, now that prices are dropping around to what I can afford, I've finally caved in and bought a new TV.

I had my mind set on an LCD for the longest time. Supposedly, it was the kind of TV to get as a gamer. No blur, no burn-in: Important things like that. However, that was a year or more ago when I did my initial research. Now, plasma screens no longer have that kind of burn-in issue. Being heavily into gaming, this is perhaps the biggest issue to me. I didn't want to buy a TV that was just going to get ruined.

After telling my ideas to the salesman at HHGreg, he assured me that plasmas were great to use for gaming and this one would actually give me the best picture for what I'll be using it for. And it was a great buy (only $799).

Setup was a breeze right out of the box. I had it hooked up in less than 20 minutes. And 5 of those minutes were spent trying to find a way to get the main part of the box off (hint: It's the white plastic handle-like things on the sides. Unclip, then pull them off), while another 5 was me looking for a screwdriver, and yet another 5 spent on pulling things out of the box. So, if you're quick about it, you can probably get this thing running in 10 minutes.

The first thing I tested on this TV was Band of Brothers on Blu-Ray. Words are almost not enough for how amazing the picture quality is. And, I don't own a surround sound system, so all we had was what came from the TV. I almost wonder if I need a surround sound. Even at low volumes, this TV puts out great, crisp sound.

Next, I needed to see how a game looked. I picked Metal Gear Solid 4. It seemed almost like a completely different game than when I played it when it first came out. Again, everything was so crisp, clean, and clear as far as the visuals and audio was concerned. I have nothing but praise for this TV.

ADDITION!
So, I've had this TV for a couple of weeks and after coming home from work I popped in 'The Office' to watch a few episodes. I fell asleep with it on, and the DVD went to a very static (non-moving) screen for the DVD menu after the episodes on that disc were over. I woke up a little shocked after 6 hours to see the screen like it was. I turned the PS3 off, and saw there was a sliiiiiiiiight bit of image retention. But it cleared up quite quickly after turning it off while I went to some classes.

I still have nothing but praise for this TV, even if it, combined with my PS3, makes my room unbearably hot. It's a great winter investment...

Comment on Panasonic VIERA S1 Series TC-P42S1 42-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV by Ryan Mcmahon

Ryan Mcmahon — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 01:53:10 +0000

Review by Ryan Mcmahon for Panasonic VIERA S1 Series TC-P42S1 42-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV Rating: I couldn't decide between a plasma and an LCD, so I bought both (with the intention of returning one) and set them up side by side, my cable hookup going to both. The plasma was a Panasonic TC-P42S1, the LCD was a Samsung LN40B630. I did my comparison channel-by-channel with lots of different programming, ranging from talk shows to cartoons to action movies to football games, in both high def and standard def.

Both are very good 40-42 inch TVs, in my opinion. Once I had adjusted the settings to my liking, I was hard-pressed to say that one looked notably better or worse than the other, though each had its strengths and weaknesses.

The Panasonic plasma had slightly more vibrant colors than the Samsung LCD. Blacks were noticably blacker and dark blues and purples looked deeper. The off-angle viewing was fantastic on the plasma, too. With the LCD, a smidge of color was lost when you shifted from 0 to 45 degrees. From deeper side angles, the picture was still watchable, but definitely shifted towards gray.

However, the Samsung LCD had a brighter, crisper image. In a dark room, details stood out better, and any programming that wasn't dark looked a little sharper. During the day, with the sun shining in, the LCD's image held up a bit better, too.

Motion is supposedly better on plasmas, but I couldn't really tell when comparing to a 120Hz LCD. Both TVs did equally well with typical television, and what blurs I saw seemed to be in the source material. I watched a football game for a while, but if the plasma gave a better viewing experience, it wasn't terribly obvious to me. Then again, I'm not a big sports fan, so maybe my eye isn't discerning enough.

Color accuracy seemed great on both TVs, but the Panasonic needed some adjusting to get there. The picture is too green with the default settings.

Both TVs did a near-equal job with standard def programming (aside from the differences above).

Sound: adequate on both. I have a surround-sound system, so I didn't really care.

Hardware failures: I've read complaints about both brands -- seems like it's a roll of the dice either way. I went with a 4 year warranty.

Other stuff: the Samsung had a better remote, a nicer menu system, and more fine adjustments available. I also like the swivel stand and the fact it's a lot lighter than the Panasonic. I didn't try the internet features on either TV.

Overall, both are very good TVs, and all but the most picky videophiles would be happy with either. In 2009, both plasma and LCD have come a long way and which technology is "better" really boils down to your wallet, viewing conditions, and personal preference. It was a tough choice for me, but, in the end, the bright, crisp picture of the Samsung won out. I can live with marginally less vibrant colors, weaker blacks, and imperfect off-angle viewing (if I watch from the other room, I'll swivel the screen).