[mcgsxr]

I have owned 3 for years now.  The oldest is a 6 year old 720p 42.  The newest is a 1080p 60.

The middle aged one is a 3D 55 - VT30. 

The VT has started to show a purple/green ghosty thing for 10-60 seconds on initial start up.  Googling does not help, as it appears that 3 boards are going out and will run around $600 for a DIY fix.  Not going to happen. 

I will begin paying more attention at Costco and the local flyers, as I am betting 1-4 months before I get the 7 red flashes of death. 

Hope the other 2 keep going.

Don't think my wife will go for moving the 60 to the main floor and dropping a PJ in the basement but who knows?

[Tomy2Tone]

I hear ya mcgsxr. I have a Panny 65" VT60 and absolutely love it! I'll probably cry the day it goes bad. I wish Panny would have kept making them, apparently they're in no hurry to get OLED out and rolling.

Not sure if I could ever go back to LCD after the experience of a great picture like the VT60 provides. Let us know if you end up doing anything.

[jonbee]

I hear ya mcgsxr. I have a Panny 65" VT60 and absolutely love it! I'll probably cry the day it goes bad. I wish Panny would have kept making them, apparently they're in no hurry to get OLED out and rolling.

Not sure if I could ever go back to LCD after the experience of a great picture like the VT60 provides. Let us know if you end up doing anything.

I have a 55" VT60 which is the best I've seen. I just love it. I'd pay $600 in a flash to fix it, as there is no practical replacement for that $, IMO. The screens themselves are spec'd for a very long life, as I understand it.

[Gopher]

A few months back there were some sick prices on Samsung F8500 series TVs.   I love the Panny plasma in my living room, but deeply regret not snagging a 65 inch Samsung to replace it.   The 8500s are siiick.   If they're still available that's a sweet successor.

[mcgsxr]

Right.  Did I say 1-4 months?  Pop this AM.   7 blinks.  Might be repairable.  Lots of chatter on the Net about a specific board to be replaced, but given it is wall mounted with a def tech sound bar on it, I cannot do this on my own. 

Glad I got the unit free 3-4 years ago.  If I had paid retail and it only lasted this long I would not be thrilled. 

Still love the picture on my 42 and 60 Panny plasma's but will have to weigh fixing this vs buying new at Costco.

I don't need exquisite picture quality for this screen, it is just a main floor tv for family use. 

[GentleBender]

I've been playing with some of these LG projectors and have been impressed. Lots of model options and might work well with your basement setup. I bought a little bluetooth transmitter to pair with my speaker and it is quite impressive for under $400. I use the portable LG PH-300 with a battery and have a Roku streaming stick plugged into the back HDMI slot, there is even a powered USB port on the back with the HDMI. The Roku stick connects to my NAS and streams everything flawlessly.

http://smile.amazon.com/LG-Electronics-PW600G-Theater-Projector/dp/B00UA8K39U/ref=cm_cr_pr_sims_t/179-5824101-7988552

[Bob in St. Louis]

I thought about posting the video of the guy that fixes his plasma with a baseball bat, but I don't think it would work in this case. 

Sorry to hear Mark. Maybe you'll get lucky and wifey will let you upgrade!

[JoshK]

I've had my Panasonic TH-58PZ700U for 5-6 years now.   I relegated it to my bedroom now that I got a PJ for my home theater.   I have a bit of image burn from leaving netflix on all night, but kinda minor.   I had another 58"er just prior that came crashing to the floor when the wall mount failed, and a 2nd gen 42"er before that.   Panny plasmas are awesome.

[DaveC113]

I have a 58" Panny plasma (58S2), got it for about $1k 4 years ago. Looks to me like the OLED sets are better now but who knows, it's hard to tell from the showroom where they are set at max brightness.

[kingdeezie]

OLEDs are killer. As a plasma lover who was sad to see them go, I am glad LG is bringing the OLED thunder.

The 4k 65 inch model is stunning, but crazy expensive at 7K.

The 55 inch 1080P model is going for 2-2.5k, which isn't bad.

Sorry to hear about the plasma going out. I'd repair it. Nothing LCD/LED will match its picture quality, especially for the 600 or so to fix it.

[Tomy2Tone]

OLEDs are killer. As a plasma lover who was sad to see them go, I am glad LG is bringing the OLED thunder.

The 4k 65 inch model is stunning, but crazy expensive at 7K.

The 55 inch 1080P model is going for 2-2.5k, which isn't bad. .

Do you own one or have seen one in a home setting? If so was it calibrated?

[kingdeezie]

Do you own one or have seen one in a home setting? If so was it calibrated?

No, saw one in a store. Not sure the calibration settings. The contrast was evident. The black levels were amazing, giving everything a 3D pop.

Presumably be even better calibrated at home.

[DaveC113]

It looks to me like the OLEDs are going to kick plasma's butt and the prices are coming down fast...

[RPM123]

Several years ago, I saw a Sony (22"?) OLED and I was blown away by the color and contrast of that display! I applaud LG for going "all in" for OLED, however I am NOT a fan of the curved screens. Apparently they will be coming out with a flat panel version for their 65" and above in the higher end models, but they are way expensive. Not sure about flat panels for the other models. Also, the jury is still out on the lifespan of OLEDs. since they have not been around that long.

[DaveC113]

Several years ago, I saw a Sony (22"?) OLED and I was blown away by the color and contrast of that display! I applaud LG for going "all in" for OLED, however I am NOT a fan of the curved screens. Apparently they will be coming out with a flat panel version for their 65" and above in the higher end models, but they are way expensive. Not sure about flat panels for the other models. Also, the jury is still out on the lifespan of OLEDs. since they have not been around that long.

Yeah, it would be nice if my TV hung in there for a few more years to give OLED some time.

Anyone know the average life of a Panny plasma? 

[Atlplasma]

I have a Pioneer PDP5070, which originally retailed for more than $3K. I really like the set and hope it last for many more years. If it does bite the dust, I will give Vizio a serious "look." Their sets just seem to get better and better. Here is a recent review the OP might want to check out:

http://www.avsforum.com/forum/166-lcd-flat-panel-displays/2094434-vizio-m65-c1-led-lcd-uhdtv-official-avs-forum-review.html

[mcgsxr]

I still love my 2 functioning Panny Plasma's, no doubt.  I hope they last. 

I am still on the fence for a fix vs replace.  The main floor spot is just a social viewing area.  A 1080P 55 inch LED would be fine for news, sports and kids viewing.

Waiting for feedback from a local TV fixer. 

[bummrush]

I have a Hitachi  42 in.Had to have a capacitor  replaced years ago.The tv has been working great ever since.Bought in 2006.A few years ago a funny click started.Upon turn on evrrything went as was supposed to ,, but this vrry random  click started.Its hard to explain but when turning on it uwould just click and no turn on. But i figured a work around.I have to manually turn tv off .Then ive figured out,,i turn it on and if i hear this click i know from trial and error when hitting regular on switch that tv will not uturn on.But then i hit main power button and if i hear no click i can then go to the basic power button  and tv always works again.It took me awhile to figure all this out.But damn glad i l did.
 But even with that glitch my tv has given me incredible  veiwing. Its been  working  since 2006

[viggen]

i love my panny 50gt50.

one thing that most people don't pay too much attention to is the computing hardware and software.

the panny turns on in less than 2 seconds and the smart tv features has no lag.  can't say this about most other tvs on the market.  definitely not sony or toshiba. 

[bummrush]

For me the capacitor replacement  and the on and off glitch,i consider myself a really happy consumer of the Hitachi brand of plasma.I think they made thier own glass screens and did so to a pretty high stsndard.