Sony 4K vs Panasonic ZT

Tornado Red
Tornado Red Posts: 939
edited July 2014 in Electronics
I'm just looking (famous last words) at displays. The end of the line for plasma is coming as we know, and I found the following 2 displays for about the same price (just under 4G). The Sony 4K 65"UHD and the Panasonic ZT 65" plasma. I know there are other options, especially in the 4K realm, but just between these 2, which would you choose as the set you'd like to last you the next 5-8 years, and why? I'm a plasma guy, but if I can jump to 4K in the same size and price...hmmmm. Haven't been anywhere to do a head to head. Thoughts?
Post edited by Tornado Red on
· Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Comments

  • gudnoyez
    gudnoyez Posts: 8,124
    edited July 2014
    There is a place here in town that had last year's Pannys plasma next to a 65 inch Samsung new 4K they don't sell Sonys, but it was a tough decision Avatar Blu Ray was used, I liked the Samsung better.
    Home Theater
    Parasound Halo A 31 OnkyoTX-NR838 Sony XBR55X850B 55" 4K RtiA9 Fronts CsiA6 Center RtiA3 Rears FxiA6 Side Surrounds Dual Psw 111's Oppo 105D Signal Ultra Speaker Cables & IC's Signal Magic Power Cable Technics SL Q300 Panamax MR4300 Audioquest Chocolate HDMI Cables Audioquest Forest USB Cable

    2 Channel
    Adcom 555II Vincent SA-T1 Marantz SA 15S2 Denon DR-M11 Clearaudio Bluemotion SDA 2.3tl's (Z) edition MIT Terminator II Speaker Cables & IC's Adcom 545II Adcom Gtp-450 Marantz CD5004 Technics M245X SDA 2B's, SDA CRS+

    Stuff for the Head
    JD LABS C5 Headphone Amplifier, Sennheiser HD 598, Polk Audio Buckle, Polk Audio Hinge, Velodyne vPulse, Bose IE2, Sennheiser CX 200 Street II, Sennheiser MX 365

    Shower & Off the beaten path Rigs
    Polk Audio Boom Swimmer, Polk Audio Urchin B)
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • nooshinjohn
    nooshinjohn Posts: 25,420
    edited July 2014
    gudnoyez wrote: »
    There is a place here in town that had last year's Pannys plasma next to a 65 inch Samsung new 4K they don't sell Sonys, but it was a tough decision Avatar Blu Ray was used, I liked the Samsung better.

    If you like, PM me and I can send you my number. I sell TV's at my store. I would take the Samsung or LG 4k panels all day over the Sony, or the Panny plasmas. I would even do the Samsung PN64F8500 over the Panny.
    The Gear... Carver "Statement" Mono-blocks, Mcintosh C2300 Arcam AVR20, Oppo UDP-203 4K Blu-ray player, Sony XBR70x850B 4k, Polk Audio Legend L800 with height modules, L400 Center Channel Polk audio AB800 "in-wall" surrounds. Marantz MM7025 stereo amp. Simaudio Moon 680d DSD

    “When once a Republic is corrupted, there is no possibility of remedying any of the growing evils but by removing the corruption and restoring its lost principles; every other correction is either useless or a new evil.”— Thomas Jefferson
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Tornado Red
    Tornado Red Posts: 939
    edited July 2014
    nooshinjohn wrote: »
    If you like, PM me and I can send you my number. I sell TV's at my store. I would take the Samsung or LG 4k panels all day over the Sony, or the Panny plasmas. I would even do the Samsung PN64F8500 over the Panny.

    Thanks John, not quite ready to buy, plus I'm in Canada. Nice to hear views from someone who gets to see these on a regular basis, hard to beat hands on experience. The 8500 gets good press for sure, and it's a little cheaper here than the two I mentioned (about $3500 CDN). Don't know, I have this thing about bigger Samsung displays and their quality control the last few years. Would you exclude their plasmas from those thoughts? And what do you like about the Samsung and LG 4Ks over the Sony?
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • jtgranby
    jtgranby Posts: 887
    edited July 2014
    Tornado Red wrote: »
    I'm just looking (famous last words) at displays. The end of the line for plasma is coming as we know, and I found the following 2 displays for about the same price (just under 4G). The Sony 4K 65"UHD and the Panasonic ZT 65" plasma. I know there are other options, especially in the 4K realm, but just between these 2, which would you choose as the set you'd like to last you the next 5-8 years, and why? I'm a plasma guy, but if I can jump to 4K in the same size and price...hmmmm. Haven't been anywhere to do a head to head. Thoughts?

    I would be all over the Panasonic ZT. If you spend that kind of money I would research a little more. They can't even broadcast TV over 1080P let alone 4K. If you have a light controlled room the Panasonic ZT hands down over any LED. If you really want a plasma buy now or they will be gone. I am surprised you found a ZT??

    Jim
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • AsSiMiLaTeD
    AsSiMiLaTeD Posts: 11,727
    edited July 2014
    Tornado Red wrote: »
    Thanks John, not quite ready to buy, plus I'm in Canada. Nice to hear views from someone who gets to see these on a regular basis, hard to beat hands on experience. The 8500 gets good press for sure, and it's a little cheaper here than the two I mentioned (about $3500 CDN). Don't know, I have this thing about bigger Samsung displays and their quality control the last few years. Would you exclude their plasmas from those thoughts? And what do you like about the Samsung and LG 4Ks over the Sony?
    Stick with your gut on the Samsungs, several of us have had problems with their TVs, there are plenty of posts just here on this forum about these issues. If anything, their plasmas are even worse. I've linked a video below of mine and the issues it developed at 13 months, had another with green vertical lines at 18 months. The QC and customer support are horrid, if you buy one make sure you buy an extended warranty.

    http://youtu.be/31XlxMvM0mw

    I have the ZT and it is by far the best TV I've ever owned...
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • gudnoyez
    gudnoyez Posts: 8,124
    edited July 2014
    When my Samsung F9000 4k died after a few months I replaced it with Sony's new 4k and couldn't be happier not another Samsung for me even though they have a great picture they have issues I know several people that had their Samsungs fail on them and they all replaced them with Pannys or Sony's.
    Home Theater
    Parasound Halo A 31 OnkyoTX-NR838 Sony XBR55X850B 55" 4K RtiA9 Fronts CsiA6 Center RtiA3 Rears FxiA6 Side Surrounds Dual Psw 111's Oppo 105D Signal Ultra Speaker Cables & IC's Signal Magic Power Cable Technics SL Q300 Panamax MR4300 Audioquest Chocolate HDMI Cables Audioquest Forest USB Cable

    2 Channel
    Adcom 555II Vincent SA-T1 Marantz SA 15S2 Denon DR-M11 Clearaudio Bluemotion SDA 2.3tl's (Z) edition MIT Terminator II Speaker Cables & IC's Adcom 545II Adcom Gtp-450 Marantz CD5004 Technics M245X SDA 2B's, SDA CRS+

    Stuff for the Head
    JD LABS C5 Headphone Amplifier, Sennheiser HD 598, Polk Audio Buckle, Polk Audio Hinge, Velodyne vPulse, Bose IE2, Sennheiser CX 200 Street II, Sennheiser MX 365

    Shower & Off the beaten path Rigs
    Polk Audio Boom Swimmer, Polk Audio Urchin B)
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Tornado Red
    Tornado Red Posts: 939
    edited July 2014
    My son has a 9 month old Samsung 60" LED/LCD and has had the screen replaced twice in the first 2 months. I'm more than a little gun shy with that brand. I had a Samsung blu-ray player with issues, so I know a little about their (lack of) customer service. I like their G3 phone though :)
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • AsSiMiLaTeD
    AsSiMiLaTeD Posts: 11,727
    edited July 2014
    You called both the ZT and Samsung 8500 the best 1080P display on the market if I read your post correctly, which of those two do you prefer? I've not seen the 8500 myself so can't comment, but love my ZT for sure.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • pitdogg2
    pitdogg2 Posts: 25,447
    edited July 2014
    Read a thread over the weekend about the demise of Plasma. With 4K coming out Plasma can't do it and be energy efficient at the same time. Massive heat problems and inability to do 4K "death nail" in the coffin.

    Oh well hope mine (plasma) last as long as my last Zenith.....
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • nooshinjohn
    nooshinjohn Posts: 25,420
    edited July 2014
    Zero wrote: »
    I have a touch of experience in this arena, so to keep this simple, I'm going to give you a generic summary:

    Panasonic ZT - There's a reason why the ZT is the 'standard' by which all other televisions are measured against. It's the best damned 1080p consumer-grade flat screen ever built. The only strike against the set is that it's not a 4k.

    Sony 4k's - The pricey 950b is the best LED on the market, and is the only screen that can capture the 'image depth' of a good plasma. As of right now, there are Sony 4ks'.... and then there is everybody else. Whether you're looking at the 850b, the 900b, or the mighty 950b, this is THE way to go if you're wanting a 4k TV in 2014.

    Samsung - The *only* competitive screen Samsung has out right now is the F-8500 plasma. It's the best 1080p screen on the market. Unfortunately, it's been discontinued, so if you want one, you better jump now. As for their 4k's? Yeah. Avoid em'. .. .

    The reason n the Sony sets look so good is because thy are Samsungs... From Channel News http://www.channelnews.com.au/industry/display/LIKKYEYN-sony-4k-tvs-take-a-big-dive-despite-ps4-giveaway--2014-world-cup-investment.aspx

    According to leaked GFK Australia data Sony in week 21 which is when they launched their PlayStation 4K TV offer had a 28.3% Ultra High Definition share, this has now slumped to 6.1% share in week 27.

    Sony's overall share of the TV market has also fallen from 14.9% in week 17 to 12.3% last week.

    This is a bitter blow for Sony who has been trying to rebuild market share in the TV market.

    GFK research shows that the two brands that have picked up TV market share from Sony are Samsung and LG.

    Recently Sony who are wallowing from billions in losses, said that they intend to spin off their TV business and concentrate on high quality 4K screens up against the likes of Samsung, LG and Panasonic.

    For years the Sony TV division has been what one analyst called a "basket case" due to their failure to be competitive.

    Sony has no facility to make their own TV like Samsung and LG do due to massive factory and people cuts. As a result Sony has found itself forced to buy in components from the likes of Samsung and Sharp who recently handed over one of their main TV display panel plants to Apple for the production of display screens.

    Sharp like Sony are also struggling to grow market share in Australia.

    Buying in panels from other manufacturers has seriously impacted Sony costs and profitability just at the time when it needed to be really competitive to gain market share.

    Globally high production costs and a strong Yen meant that Sony simply couldn't compete and in 2011 it saw a massive 24% drop in TV sales in 2012 and 2013 sales slumped even further.

    Sony thought they had a secret weapon with their Sony X-Reality Pro engine that the Company claimed offered better noise reduction and a big boost in picture quality.

    Sony also developed a new range of new Triluminos Displays that the company claimed delivered more natural colours and a much wider colour gamut on screen.

    At the same time, the aesthetics of its TV's were overhauled to bring them into line with those from Samsung and LG.

    As result of its restructuring in both the PC and TV businesses, Sony expects to lay off around 5,000 employees by the end of the financial year.

    Domestically Sony knows it has a struggle to regain the stranglehold it once had in the TV market the downturn in 4K Ultra-HD and 2K high-definition TV's coupled with a weaker Yen does not look good for the Japanese Company.
    The Gear... Carver "Statement" Mono-blocks, Mcintosh C2300 Arcam AVR20, Oppo UDP-203 4K Blu-ray player, Sony XBR70x850B 4k, Polk Audio Legend L800 with height modules, L400 Center Channel Polk audio AB800 "in-wall" surrounds. Marantz MM7025 stereo amp. Simaudio Moon 680d DSD

    “When once a Republic is corrupted, there is no possibility of remedying any of the growing evils but by removing the corruption and restoring its lost principles; every other correction is either useless or a new evil.”— Thomas Jefferson
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 50,566
    edited July 2014
    4K....frankly, I don't give a damn.
    Political Correctness'.........defined

    "A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."

    President of Club Polk

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • AsSiMiLaTeD
    AsSiMiLaTeD Posts: 11,727
    edited July 2014
    I'm with you there, I do have a 4K monitor for my PC gaming rig because I sit close enough that the extra resolution is nice, but not for movie or TV watching...
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Tornado Red
    Tornado Red Posts: 939
    edited July 2014
    AsSiMiLaTeD wrote: »
    I'm with you there, I do have a 4K monitor for my PC gaming rig because I sit close enough that the extra resolution is nice, but not for movie or TV watching...

    That's where I was thinking 4K would be nice. I see them coming out in computer monitor size and think that would be their forte, sitting so close. As to get the benefits of 4K on a big display, I don't plan on sitting 4' from a 65" screen, my eyeballs aren't that wide. Have you have any issues with your ZT? I thought I remember some problems when that model was first introduced.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • AsSiMiLaTeD
    AsSiMiLaTeD Posts: 11,727
    edited July 2014
    The input lag on the Panasonic plasmas is pretty bad so they're not ideal for gaming. I don't really consider that a problem, just a trade off for the processing and great picture you get. Other than that I have nothing but great things to say about mine.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • nooshinjohn
    nooshinjohn Posts: 25,420
    edited July 2014
    Tornado Red wrote: »
    That's where I was thinking 4K would be nice. I see them coming out in computer monitor size and think that would be their forte, sitting so close. As to get the benefits of 4K on a big display, I don't plan on sitting 4' from a 65" screen, my eyeballs aren't that wide. Have you have any issues with your ZT? I thought I remember some problems when that model was first introduced.

    The home computer is merging with the television, and eventually they will be one and the same.
    The Gear... Carver "Statement" Mono-blocks, Mcintosh C2300 Arcam AVR20, Oppo UDP-203 4K Blu-ray player, Sony XBR70x850B 4k, Polk Audio Legend L800 with height modules, L400 Center Channel Polk audio AB800 "in-wall" surrounds. Marantz MM7025 stereo amp. Simaudio Moon 680d DSD

    “When once a Republic is corrupted, there is no possibility of remedying any of the growing evils but by removing the corruption and restoring its lost principles; every other correction is either useless or a new evil.”— Thomas Jefferson
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Tornado Red
    Tornado Red Posts: 939
    edited July 2014
    I was thinking I had read about a ZT 60/65 image retention issue, but that have been more related to owner/improper burn in technique.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Tornado Red
    Tornado Red Posts: 939
    edited July 2014
    TV watching doesn't interest me for what these 2 can do over my present Panny 60" ST. Any critical watching will entail blu-ray movies/concerts. So my interest is what will the 4K upscaling of 1080p(i) blu-ray look like compared to the 1080p of the ZT. And like has been said, in the end I will have to see for myself.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • D_M
    D_M Posts: 175
    edited July 2014
    Tornado,

    There is an article over on the front page of AVS forum "UHD/4K Quandary: To Buy or Not to Buy" by Scott Wilkinson. It might provide you with additional information.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Tornado Red
    Tornado Red Posts: 939
    edited July 2014
    D_M wrote: »
    Tornado,

    There is an article over on the front page of AVS forum "UHD/4K Quandary: To Buy or Not to Buy" by Scott Wilkinson. It might provide you with additional information.

    Thanks, I may mosey on over there and read up....
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Tornado Red
    Tornado Red Posts: 939
    edited July 2014
    Had a chance to compare Sony's newest 60" 4K to the Panny ZT 60" this morning. And I'm definitely...still on the fence. Both great displays. The dealer here says they have 3 of the 65" ZT left in Canada (none in town here, I'd have to order) @ $4299 CDN. Dang. Very tempting. Is this what is known as a first world problem?
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter