I'm about to buy a plasma tv, should i get a reasonably priced 720p or spend the extra for 1080p?

14 comments

1. Cameron S on September 4, 2010 at 12:59 am

   (depending on how much the price varies of course, but say its over 100 difference) I would say unless you have Hi Def television, the TV is huge, and you have a blu-ray player, dont worry about it, you wont really be able to notice, the you gotta have a hi-def TV thing is a scam and a load of crap, I have a 720 in my room and a 1080 in the family room, and I cant tell a difference, go with the cheapie

2. Amber D. on September 4, 2010 at 12:59 am

   Check a Consumer report before you buy anything. From what I hear Plasma Burns out in 26 months depending on usage. Good Luck.

3. Praetor Fenix on September 4, 2010 at 12:59 am

   if youre going 1080, make sure it’s 1080p NOT 1080i. 1080i is some bullshit. And it is a major improvement IMO. go big or go home. Good luck.

4. The Prototype on September 4, 2010 at 12:59 am

   I saw some sports on 720P LCD/Plasma and it looks really good.

   Yet if you want 1080P Blu Ray get the 1080P with 120HZ. Because they are always going to get better technology.

   1) Get the 720P, save some money. Get a 1080P when the price goes down and you have 2 TVs.

   or

   2) Just get the 1080P and get the best quality now for the extra price you paid.

5. maximusalexandercoolpillow on September 4, 2010 at 12:59 am

   to tiny u need to go with a samsung 72 inch 1080 .HOLLA

6. ???? on September 4, 2010 at 12:59 am

   well it depends if u use the tv alot…. if u want to save money then buy the cheap one….

7. Robin on September 4, 2010 at 12:59 am

   Try to read: Should I Buy a LCD TV or a Plasma TV?
   from
   http://yefimsanswers.blogspot.com/2009/03/should-i-buy-lcd-tv-or-plasma-tv.html

8. Justin S on September 4, 2010 at 12:59 am

   if you have a hd receiver go with 1080, if not 720,

9. Greg F on September 4, 2010 at 12:59 am

   I have a 50 inch plasma, I upconvert DVD’s to 720p and they look amazing, for a screen a lot larger 1080p is probably worth it, but at 50 inch 720p is plenty.

10. MoneyMatt on September 4, 2010 at 12:59 am

    1080p is the only way to go. Getting the 720p one would be like buying a Ferrari and not getting the options like A/C and a radio.

11. AnswerGuru2009 on September 4, 2010 at 12:59 am

    It really depends on how much of a good picture you want. If you’re gonna be hosting parties or having a lot of people over, I would recommend upgrading. but if you’re just gonna be a couch potato, i would recommend downsizing based on how much you want to spend and how good of a deal you can get.

12. jf on September 4, 2010 at 12:59 am

    At that size of a television set you should likely look towards 1080p, considering an average viewing distance of say 6-9ft. If you’re going to be a bit further back, still I’d go with 1080p. But if you’re going to be really far away from the TV, like 15+ ft away, then you can likely go 720p and be okay.

    The advantages of 1080p are noticeable based on TV size and viewing distance. Basically if you’re at 42" and above you can potentially see the advantages of going 1080p. So in your size range, you’re certainly in the realm of being able to notice the advantages. You didn’t specify your viewing distance though, so I’m just going to assume its in the normal range.

    Ignore the myths about Plasma burn-in and such. As you are buying a modern Plasma, that’s not really an issue anymore. But you should help condition the TV. For the first 100-200 hours of use crank the brightness and contrast (picture) settings way down. After that period go ahead and optimize and enjoy your viewing experience.

13. mguardian_north on September 4, 2010 at 12:59 am

    Only get 1080p if you’re going to get an HD source (Blu-Ray or HD Dish/HD Cable). Otherwise 720p should be enough. 720p is still much better than a non-HD TV which is 480i so even if you will get an HD source, 720p might be fine.

14. Sound Labs on September 4, 2010 at 12:59 am

    At the size you want, you will see the difference between 720 and 1080. Go for the 1080 if you can afford it and don’t look back.

    If you get the 720, you’ll just be wondering the entire time if you should have gone 1080 anyway.

    Also, 720 is on the way out. Down the road when your TV set is lookin’ old, what do you think you’ll get for a 720p set? Nothing.

    Too many people answering questions here have no idea what they are talking about. One person said, "from what I hear they burn out in 28 months? WTF? Hear from where? From who? My plasma is 5 years old and looks fantastic.

    At 50 inches and over, the pixels on a 720p set can easily be seen, they look like giant lego blocks when you get close. Another person said "get 1080p not 1080i" again, no clue. You can’t buy a flat panel TV that is 1080i. In the past yes, but no longer. 1080i in the present is a source issue, not a display one.

    If you can afford it, check out the brand spankin’ new Neo-Plasma sets from Panasonic http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=9236294&type=product&id=1218064394819

    This is a 50" 1080p, try and find anything that will beat it for the same price, doubt you can.

    The 42" seem to be only 720p, don’t know if they will make a 1080p in that size.

The comments are closed.