Plasma TV's: unstable and difficult to calibrate?

I found this great deal on a Vizio 42" plasma TV at Circuit City. When I went to buy it, I got a huge pitch from the sales guy that ultimately translated to me needing to spend an extra $500 (or more). Here are some of the things he said:





1) Plasma TV's are unstable for the first 5 years. If nothing goes wrong in that time, they should last a total of about 30 years. (He said this in hopes of selling me the 5 year service plan.)





2) Without proper calibration by an expert or someone who knows about "deeper menus", the TV will not transition well between normal viewing and DVD or video game viewing. (He wanted me to purchase the in-home professional set-up.)





3) Even packaged in their original boxes, plasma TV's cannot be laid flat for transit -- they have to remain standing up. (He wanted me to have the TV delivered in their truck instead of transported in my car.)





Is any of this true? Or was I just fed a load of crap so he could make more money on commission?

Plasma TV's: unstable and difficult to calibrate?
First try and stay away from the plasma tv. It is not going to last. The gas inside will burn out over time, and they run really hot shorting the life of the tv. If you do buy it the only thing I would recomend is getting the extended warranty. Unless you plan on hanging it on the wall in home setup will not be needed. I transport them everyday and we always lay them down. I would not recomend doing it for a long time. If you take it straight home you will be fine. They make more money on the accessories than the tv. You do not need a tech to go deeper in the system to set it up.
Reply:First off,





The guy above me is wrong. Plasma's don't "burn up" inside, they used to suffer from burn in but the ones on the market today are far superior to the original plasma's and do not suffer burn in much at all, if any.





We own a 55" hitachi and it runs SUPER cool, and is NOT hot whatsoever. We purchased it at circuit city with a great deal of free wall mount AND firedog installation with purchase, and free delivery. They delivered (so it was still in crate and standing), they mounted the mount on the wall, they put the tv on the wall, and they hid the wires INSIDE the wall.





There is no "calibration" that needs to be done. Use the manual and set it up, it's as simple as most other tv's.





We have not had 1 problem with our plasma. With that said, we have a 32 inch LCD in our bedroom and it's horrible.





Go with plasma for sure, it's great. The average lifespan on a plasma is about 25,000-30,000 hours. Calculate that if you left your tv on for 24 hours a day, it will last you for years.





We have had nothing but problems with our lcd and I regret purchasing it.
Reply:Ok, #1 is wrong. The reason service plans are there are to protect your investment. Yes they are good, but read the fine print on Circuit City's service plan. You still have to bring the tv in to the store to have it looked at. Best Buy's service plans are all in home so you just call and they come out to you. #2 isn't true either. Circuit City's calibrations are done by the firedog installers while Best Buy's are ISF certified. By the way, with a purchase of a plasma at Best Buy, the optimization price goes down from $100 from $300 using their HD Advantage. #3 is true, but I have seen maybe one or two cases where the tv is fine if it's laid down, but that is always before the first time it is powered on. Hope this helps.
Reply:This guy is an as*hole. Go slap him when you get the chance.





Everything he said is a lie.





All you need to become an expert is here: http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-7608_7-1016...
Reply:the sales man was a dick. the first answer is great as is the last guy blaze he is right on the money believe me.

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