Suggested plasma displays for high altitude?

[Lora]

Do you have suggestions on plasma displays for altitudes over 5400'? I understand that the failures increase at high altitudes and that people have problems.

When I went to go buy a TV this past fall, the local stores all said that they were offering more LCD vs Plasma because of failure and problems with people who live even higher up in the mountains (heat, plasma breaking up, then failure in really short amount of time - months). They thought some of the manufacturers would be addressing it in newer models, but that most hadn't tested at high altitudes. So at the time I got a Vizio LCD HDTV and love it. But it would be nice to have a plasma. Any suggestions or new news about this?

[Robinson_A]

Lora,

Runco just released a line of plasma displays aimed at people with your specific needs. I would go on-line and check them out.

http://www.avrev.com/news/0407/10.runco044.shtml

[LXIX]

I would recommend Panasonic.

All of their panels (other than the 103") are rated to 9100 feet before they buzz or are no longer covered under warrenty. It is hard to find this in writing on their US site so I have supplied a link to their global site FAQ page.

You will need to go to question 9 and convert the meters to feet.

http://panasonic.net/think_plasma/html_faq/index.html

One might ask if this is reliable for the US market, the answer is yes as all the panels come from the same factories and are built to the same gas charging levels. Feel free to call Panasonic at 800-211-pana and they will get you in touch with a plasma expert who can confirm altitude for you.

-Matt

[Kevin Miller]

Hi All,

I would also highly recommend the Panasonics for their picture quality and performance, especially the industrial models although I am not sure if they are altitude friendly. For years now I have considered the Panasonics to be among the best plasma panels for PQ primarily because of their excellent blacks (contrast ratio) and good color decoding.

[LXIX]

Mr. Miller,

The industrial panels are rated to 9100 feet as well. Although I love the cosmetics and extra control options of the industrial models (both picture controls and RS-232 controls) I don't believe that they are for everyone.

Many people buy these panels not recognizing that hey often lack inputs that must be purchased and installed later (HDMI boards). Plus, when these boards are in limited supply, delaers will often jack prices up to nearly double MSRP.

If you like the cosmetics of the industrial product (flat black finish instead of the shinny black of the new models) you may want to check out the PE77 series panels that are in CostCo and I think Sam's club is getting. It is the cosmetic of the PX77 series but no anti-glare screen and the finish is a matte black. I think it is their best cosmetic for consumer ever.

-Matt

[JerryDelColliano]

I use the Panasonic sets myself (50 inch pros - calibrated by Kevin Miller) and they are REALLY pretty strong.

We are at 1500 feet which is pretty high considering I can be standing on the beach in less than 20 minutes from my front door however I trust that they work at higher alts too.