[jassi]

Originally Posted by s0uljah

At reliance they had the x20 and c430 (43k)

Today I will goto Croma and some other independent sellers to check.

V20 seems great but its a huge jump in budget.

not quite sure whats the difference between the c430 and c450
Plasma TV - Television | SAMSUNG

[dadu]

Originally Posted by jassi

got the delivery of the plasma - not yet switched on - as it was transported in horizontal position! When buying plasma in aussie, i was clearly told by dealer not to take it home flat, lying on back or front. The Vijay sales delivery people said it is normal for plasmas to be transported flat to avoid toppling. I dunno who to believe now!

Believe the markings on the Box, which states, not be transported horizontally.

[jassi]

Originally Posted by dadu

Believe the markings on the Box, which states, not be transported horizontally.

yeah i made a note of this on the delivery receipt. Will let the samsung guy know as well when he comes for the demo. Lets see how it goes - so far things seem fine during the run in period, so not very concerned

[serious_maniac]

I have been thinking of buying a LCD / Plasma for a while now. One of the options is getting a LCD or LED from the US (50% of India price). Main issue is warranty. Anybody having good or bad experience with imported sets?

While searching for a relatively inexpensive flat screen in India, went to NDTV shopping, 42X20 is available at 35k. Is it a good buy? I know people have spoken about it being available for 32-33K in group buy etc. but in shops like Pai, E-zone this is only available for 41,900. My primary viewing is TV (Big TV DTh) and some DVDs. Blue rays may come a year or two down the line.

Also are these guys (NDTV Shopping) trustable. The warranty is 3 years.

Buy Panasonic Viera TH-P42X20, 42 Inch Plasma TV Price, Best Plasma TV India - NDTV Shopping

~maniac

[jassi]

Originally Posted by serious_maniac

While searching for a relatively inexpensive flat screen in India, went to NDTV shopping, 42X20 is available at 35k. Is it a good buy? I know people have spoken about it being available for 32-33K in group buy etc. but in shops like Pai, E-zone this is only available for 41,900.

in croma the sticker price is 39k - haggle a bit and you can get it for a bit cheaper. Atleast you will have peace of mind when its delivered on same day you order and if there is something wrong you can return the set back to croma and get an immediate replacement. With the ndtv set, if its a used piece or has some issues, they will mostly direct you to panasonic or ask you to pack it and ship it back to them!

[jassi]

The demo guy came in and certified all good. Surprisingly even he said, transporting in horizontal position is normal and will not cause any issues. I made a not on the job sheet. Also he did said there is no way to check hours used
The tv is now clocking at 90 hours with a mix of burn in slides, regular tv, usb HD movies and ps3 (hdmi). So far it was in torch mode but this is the right time to apply some professionally calibrated settings and I'd like to report that the blacks are perfect, colors are natural with these settings from

Samsung PN50C550 Picture Settings, Calibration and Test Results
Amazon.com: jartwo "jartwo"'s review of Samsung PN50C550 50-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV...

Note this is equal to a professional calibration which costs 350 dollars !!

White Balance Settings:
Red-Offset: 22
Green-Offset: 25
Blue-Offset: 12

Red-Gain: 33
Green-Gain: 25
Blue-Gain: 33

Picture Settings:
Picture Mode: Movie
Color Temp: Warm 2
Brightness: 56
Contrast: 90
Cell Light 8
Color: 53
Tint: G35/R65
Sharpness: 10
Black Tone: Off
Dynamic Contrast: Off
Gamma: 0
Colorspace: Auto
Flesh Tone: Off
Edge Enhancement: Off
Digital NR: Auto
HDMI Black Level: Low
Film Mode: Auto

These settings have to be applied separately for each mode - i.e. av, hdmi, media play video, media play pics, etc. Also make sure you have curtains drawn for best viewing or adjust for brightness/contrast if mostly well lit viewing.

Another settings option is Samsung PN50C590 picture settings - CNET HDTV picture settings Forums but i would not recommend this unless you are dissatisfied with above settings.

[harry10]

@Jassi- Can you find me such professional settings for my Samsung Plasma 42 inches C450? I tried but cant find it.

[jassi]

Originally Posted by harry10

@Jassi- Can you find me such professional settings for my Samsung Plasma 42 inches C450? I tried but cant find it.

Start in movie mode and work settings from there

try the c450 owners thread Samsung PNXXc450 Owners Thread *NO PRICE TALK* - Page 43 - AVS Forum
here is a tip i found from an expert on that forum
"Generally, there are a few guidelines, though: start in Movie mode. Sharpness on this and other recent Samsung plasmas should be at 0 to avoid edge enhancement, cell light should be raised to max unless burn in / IR is an extra concern, tint should be at or near midpoint, and brightness should be 1 step below the exact point where black just starts to illuminate above MLL. Contrast, gamma, and brightness interact; set brightness last. Color should be at or slightly below midpoint. Lower contrast from the default setting if the set is in a dark room." --- i am not an expert to make sense of all of this though

You can also try the settings in my last post - though its a hit and miss

[s0uljah]

Originally Posted by serious_maniac

Also are these guys (NDTV Shopping) trustable. The warranty is 3 years.

Buy Panasonic Viera TH-P42X20, 42 Inch Plasma TV Price, Best Plasma TV India - NDTV Shopping

~maniac

Originally Posted by jassi

With the ndtv set, if its a used piece or has some issues, they will mostly direct you to panasonic or ask you to pack it and ship it back to them!

NDTV deal will attract EXTRA taxes for interstate shipping. Remember Bangalore bills at 12.5% vat for electronics + additional 0.5% I think.

Croma is offering the 42x20 for 39990/- + 5 % cashbank for select Credit Cards.

When I visited on Sunday 26th, the sales guy told me that the Samsung c450 @ 46990 came with a 22" LCD (Croma brand/VU or Sansui). He said there was no offer with the 42x20 except for 5% cashback (refunded after 120 days).

I told him I'd come and settle for the 42x20 the next day (27th).

On 27th when I called to book I was told that the Panasonic also has the 22" LCD offer. Then subsequently told that the offer ended on 26th for all the models. What an imbecile

In any case I was still undecided about the v20 and x20, but settling for the x20 for now.

@ Serious Maniac, Iv PM'd you my details if your interested in the 42x20 and want one ASAP there's ready stock @ Gruha Vaibhav Jayanagar for 36900 INR all inclusive. Refer my name and ask for Mr.Sathish.

As of now only Croma BEL road said they have stock of 42x20. Guess the free LCD offer wiped out stocks.

[PatienceWins]

The picture tube of my 29" philips tv gave up yesterday. I have decided to get a 42" plasma for the 12"x15" room. Confused between panasonic 42v20 and 42x20. I think 42x20 is more value for money. The room has a sliding door with curtain and I read some reviews that 42x20 has got reflection issues. I intend to get a demo tomorrow, most probably I will go for 42x20.

[PatienceWins]

I am tilted towards panny 42v20 after more research.

What is the current price in Bangalore? I need to have some idea before bargaining.

I am downloading the break in DVD. Any pointers for usage would be helpful.

[jassi]

^^ you should get it for 38-39k.
For the first 100 hrs run the slides as much as possible, if you watch tv then make sure you zoom the logo out and don't pause any media being played.
At 80 hrs or so, you can apply these settings
The Official Panasonic 12G Settings/Issues Thread - AVS Forum

Also remember to check the service menu to ensure you haven't got a used demo piece.

[s0uljah]

Patiencewins, I will PM the number of the dealer i used, very smooth experience and pricing+stock availability.

Also I just got a quote for the Samsung c450 @ 40600 INR which i think is a VFM price, I'd already installed the 42x20 by this time.

[jassi]

Originally Posted by s0uljah

Patiencewins, I will PM the number of the dealer i used, very smooth experience and pricing+stock availability.

Also I just got a quote for the Samsung c450 @ 40600 INR which i think is a VFM price, I'd already installed the 42x20 by this time.

Samsung c450 for 40k is a steal!! Given the universal video format usb features, i'd say its a great deal

[PatienceWins]

Thanks to Souljah, I purchased 42x20 from Gruha Vaibhav. I got quote from Croma, ezone and panasonic, they were expensive by 2k. The buying experience was good. I am supposed to get the delivery today. The panasonic guy will come for wall mounting tomorrow.

I got the last piece of 42x20. They have one more piece of 42v40. I did not go for 42v20 as most of the usage is going to be cable tv and the clarity for 42x20 is pretty good. 42v20 is awesome for HD viewing. I got Rs.500 for the old CRT with picture tube conked off, which I bought 5 years back for Rs.38500.

Originally Posted by jassi

^^ you should get it for 38-39k.
For the first 100 hrs run the slides as much as possible, if you watch tv then make sure you zoom the logo out and don't pause any media being played.
At 80 hrs or so, you can apply these settings
The Official Panasonic 12G Settings/Issues Thread - AVS Forum

Also remember to check the service menu to ensure you haven't got a used demo piece.

Thanks Jassi. I will follow them.

Originally Posted by s0uljah

Patiencewins, I will PM the number of the dealer i used, very smooth experience and pricing+stock availability.

Also I just got a quote for the Samsung c450 @ 40600 INR which i think is a VFM price, I'd already installed the 42x20 by this time.

I googled and got the number today morning. I got a very good deal because of you. The buying experience was good, hope the delivery and installation is also good. They have assured me that it will be a new piece. Thanks