Did you install the drivers?

Floating blacks are a feature on Panasonic plasmas.

Asus is the better choice, as long as you don't mind the complete lack of ergonomics. The Asus has 2ms advertised GTG response time and an extremely low 6.9ms of input lag as tested by tftcentral.co.uk. Picture quality is good for a low price TN monitor.

Negative air pressure will reduce the amount of dust entering the case. Most cases are not designed for this, so there may be hotspots with higher temperatures within the case. This shouldn't be a problem for your grandparents computer though.

Closed or open headphones? Open headphones generally have more clarity but leak sound from outside and to inside. Closed headphones block out some external sound but aren't as clear and can sometimes sound very muddy.

I'm still very new to linux based OS, but I really like it a lot. I'm trying to broaden my horizons for what the best linux OS is for me. Does anyone have any suggestions, or should I just stick with Ubuntu 10.10?

daginsergent

I would recommend avoiding Ubuntu for your first distro. Something like Arch Linux would be great, so you can get comfortable with the terminal and learn a little about Linux. Then when you have more experience, you can switch back to Ubuntu for a windows clone desktop.

The Panasonic P42S2 is $550 now on Amazon - a price drop of $100. That's a killer deal :)

So after finding out that Best Buy will only have 8 units of the 50 inch U2 Plasma, I did some looking on the amazon comparison and found something interesting. Apparently the S2 Plasmas have 1080 lines, but the TV I was going to get only has 900. I did some more searching online and found this post where someone else was asking to compare the two. "Apparently the Panasonic U2 series has only 900 moving picture lines on it's screen. Meaning although this HDTV is advertised as full 1080p, it actually comes up 180 lines short with what could be referred to as "900p." Also, the U2 series does not boast NeoPDP technology like the S2 series does. What this means is that on the S2 model, the black's are darker and the whites are brighter, creating more vivid color images over the U2 model. The S2 even consumes a bit less power than the U2. I guess everyone who purchased the U2 model didn't do all of their homework.. Skip U2 series and go with the S2 model everyone, they are pretty much the same price too!" So here is my predicament. A line is already forming at Best Buy and that 50 inch plasma is right smack on the front of their Black Friday ad. Chances are a lot of people want the TV. Best Buy is only going to have 8 units. Chances are slim I'm going to pick up that $699.99 TV. So Amazon has the Panasonic TC-P46S2 46-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV (S2) for $771.18 and I can order that right now. Should I try to get the one I originally wanted that's a bit bigger and cheaper or should I just get the 46 inch now that seems better, a bit smaller, but more expensive?slick_gio

The U2 series has full 1080p on still-images, but 900p moving resolution. Try to tell the difference. Three staff members on CNET could not come to a consistent conclusion about differences in moving resolution when watching actual video content (not test patterns): http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10020262-1.html. But, it also doesn't have the picture quality improvements on the S2 series.

I must say I'm biased, because I'm leaning toward a Panasonic 42" S2 Plasma. Get the 46" S2 series. There are only 8 units so it would really suck to wait in line overnight, in the cold, and still not get the deal. Also, the 50" U2 is not really cheaper if you factor sales tax and eletronics waste fee (if applicable). I don't think 4" will make so much of a difference, especially since the S2 series is an upgrade over the U2 series. Quality over quantity. And you don't have to wait hopelessly in line.

I'm assuming you sit within 2 feet from the monitor? Typically, console gamers will sit 8+ feet away from the TV and won't notice the pixellation. Go to the store and see if you can notice the difference between the 1080p and 720p sets of the same size at a reasonable viewing distance. A good upscaling TV might make the slightest difference in your perceived console pixellation, but I don't think it's worth it. However, all blu-rays are 1080p so you may see some benefit playing them at native resolution (whether or not it makes a difference at your viewing distance).

[QUOTE="simplyderp"]

[QUOTE="WiiRocks66"]

I see you are looking at a plasma. If you want the best PQ, then a plasma is your best bet, especially at that size. I would recommend saving up a little more. $600 can land you a great 720p plasma, but you said you wanted 1080p. A little extra cash will get you a nice 1080p one.

WiiRocks66

Yeah, I should go check out the 42" 720 Panasonic plasma at Costco. Maybe I won't notice the difference between 1024x768, 1336x768, and 1920x1080 at my viewing distance.

About 8 feet at shortest distance and 11.5 feet at longest distance - the tv is in the corner of the room and the sofa is against to the wall.