Utah AV experts react to the end of plasma TVs

Devin Brown

Last month in Seoul, Korea, LG announced it would end its plasma line by the end of November. LG was the last company manufacturing the more than 20-year-old technology.

Utah LG dealers think LG will take its available resources to focus on OLED TVs – a new TV design that uses organic light-emitting diodes. Many dealers said plasma TVs are better than LED TVs in picture quality.

Jim Young, the president of AVI Systems in Draper, Utah, said LG is following both Samsung and Panasonic’s decision to stop manufacturing plasma TVs. He said LG’s 2014 plasma TVs were low in quality. According to Young, Panasonic made the last high performance plasma TV.

“It was a sad day when Panasonic ended their plasma line last year,” Young said.  “All of us in the AV industry just hung our heads low.  Ever since then plasmas haven’t been the same.”

In this image released by Samsung, it shows it's 65" F8500 series
plasma TV. (Samsung) 

Young said he expected LG and Samsung to end their plasma TV lines but he said he was “remorseful” to see the technology end. He doesn’t believe LED TVs have the same high performance as plasma TVs.

According to Young, LED TVs have less color accuracy. He said plasmas TVs have better color quality, deeper black levels and smoother motion. 

Young said he would rather sell his customers a projector instead of a LED TV. He claims projectors give the viewer a “smoother” picture.

Chad Evans, a sales rep for the buying group ProSource, said his company still has 42” and 60” plasma TVs in stock. He doesn’t expect more shipments from LG anytime soon.

Young said the last plasma TV his company sold was a Samsung 65” PN64F8500. It currently is for sale on Samsung’s website for $4399.99.

OLED TVs, according to Evans, are a good replacement for “plasma fans.” He claims the new technology will be very close to a plasma TVs performance. He said OLED TVs give direct light to the panel and LED TVs pass light through a filter on the frame of the TV.

“The black levels will also be more accurate because OLEDs can shut off each individual pixel,” Evans said. “This will give you a true black image. LEDs can’t do that.”

Jared Walth, a manager at AVWORX in Layton, Utah, said he hasn’t sold any OLED TVs because of the “high” price.

Currently on LG’s website a 55” OLED TV sales for $3499.99