So in 2012 I spent months researching the best TV I could find for the buck. I dropped nearly $2000 on a 65" Panasonic plasma which has an unbelievable picture with the best blacks I have ever seen. I got the extended warranty from my discover card and the other day I go to turn it on and 4" of the right side is messed up from top to bottom. I am out of warranty by 3 months and the set has just over 500 hours on it. I called and Panasonic just wants to bend me over and take more of my money. I hardly watched the thing and it's barley out of warranty, there are almost 2000 people with the same issues and yet I have to pay $150 just to have them come out!?!?!
I called the repair center directly and because they are no longer making plasmas and because it's a 65", the repair guy said I would be better off writing it off and buying a Sharp from Costco as it is probably going to be a grip of cash to fix it if they can do it at all. Lesson learned, Panasonic SUCKS

 
I am debating if it would be worth it to pay the shipping to send the box back to Panasonic, jump out of the box and suicide punch as many people in the face as I can before cops tase me.
 

When they rate a panel to last 50,000 plus hours, I expect a little more than 500. Hopefully my car doesn't have a known issue where the gas tank spontaneously explodes but since that's not covered in the drive-train warranty I better suck it up an not QQ

Warranty is warranty. In Europe the minimum warranty for electronics is 2 years so I budget to make sure that if after two years something goes bad I am ready for it. I have other items such as my PC PSU which has a longer warranty but you really have to be prepared because when the worse happens it's going to happen when you're low on cash.
 
Plasma TVs are about to go extinct so don't buy another one. Even though technology has made them more energy efficient they still suck more electricity than a comparable LCD TV.

The repair tech said Panasonic already closed their plasma plants. He said 2 years ago he would have recommended my plasma but now, led is way cheaper to manufacture and they are getting pretty darn close to plasma's as far as quality. Lesson learned and I guess maybe tax time, I will have enough saved to fill the blank space on my wall. I have like 5 sets of playstation 3d glasses that are useless now too. Just blows my mind that 1980+ people have the same issue right after warranty is up and yet that's just ok. Next time around; extra, extra warranty and something besides Panasonic.

If offered an extended warranty from the manufacturer at reasonable cost I say "take it". Especially if you to keep the item around for several years.

That is too bad man.  Sometimes things don't last as long as they should, and sometimes they last longer.  You got the short end of the stick, sorry man.  The Panasonic plasma's were awesome.  2 years ago I was deciding between a 55" Panasonic plasma and the 60" LG plasma I currently own.  The Panasonic did have better blacks and a little better colour, but for $500 more it wasn't worth it to me.  It is too bad that plasma's are a breed on the brink of extinction with Samsung ending plasma production this November.  To this day no LCD handles motion like a plasma does.  I also have a 50" LCD, and when it comes time for movies or sports then it is Plasma time!  I hope a new technology comes along that handles motion as well as the Plasma did and has the contrast and colour reproduction.

you never buy plasma tv. ever. LED for life

The good thing about buying another Panny Plasma now, is.. If you get the extra extended warrant, and it goes bad..
They wont have the stuff to fix or replace.. so you get a new LED/LCD Tv.
 
 

kaninja

Violence.
you never buy plasma tv. ever. LED for life

Except that LCD sucks compared to Plasma in regards to picture quality and response.

EXACTLY -  I own/ed several of each type ( lcd / plasma )  - plasma is far superior in almost every way that matters.

I think its so stupid how things aren't built to last anymore, that sucks agent8, i know i'd be pretty pissed.

That sucks man, I had a TV that broke just outside of warranty, It seems that thing break as soon as there is no warranty left 

That is I like Sony!
My oldest hit 8 years this year.

Gomez99
That sucks man, I had a TV that broke just outside of warranty, It seems that thing break as soon as there is no warranty left 

That's because they have TV's made to last a certain time... "Oh you want extended warranty? Just 1 sec, Let me get you a different one from the back". =P

WOW I have a 7th gen Panasonic plasma that I bought back in 2005 and it is still working today and looking as good as it did the day I took it out of the box..........Maybe I just got lucky? 
 
That's just really bad luck on your TV man!

Sorry to read about that "8"... Do what I do... Last time I bought a TV was in 2000. I bought a five year warranty... Been using the extended warranty to upgrade as they fail ever since... No joke...Three years or so into my 55" LG LED 240hz unit now... Next year or a little after it will fail and I will get a 4k unit... MUHAhahahahaha