I was at Sam's recently and I saw the 50" Akai PDP5016H plasma tv. It has a 1366X768 resolution with a 3000:1 CD?

I check with Costco to see if they would be carrying these and the woman at customer service said that they were "in the pipeline" and should be arriving soon. Costco's model number is PDP5061 I believe. I love how each chain gets their own model number, makes finding information out about the product a breeze.

Has anybody figured out if Akai really makes these? I called their tech support line and the guy said that this particular model is made by Akai. I asked if he was sure because I had heard that other Akai's were really rebadged Samsung's.

I also heard that if you find the FCC ID you could figure out the true manufacturer, but I did not see any such number on the back of the unit or in the manual.

Since the price is incredible (somwhere between $2,800 and $3,200) and the picture looks pretty damn good, I was wondering what you guys/gals thought of this unit.

Thanks for the help!

I don't have any first hand experience with Akai but a friend of mine bought one last year from Costco. Returned it after a couple months due to poor PQ and buggy operation when switching inputs, etc. He picked up the Pio the same day and loves it.

I believe the unit you're referring to was the Samsung. If the tech guy is correct, the new unit is a "real" Akai unit.

I'm pretty sure that Akai doesn't make any products - they are a marketing company that purchased the name years ago and rebadges other companies' products.

I just returned a Sony XBR to Circuit City (bad unit I think, but I was entirely displeased) and hopped on over to Sam's to look around. I was VERY impressed with the Akai picture quality and simple design. It also has DVI, VGA, and component inputs all in the back. I'm really contemplating purchasing this unit. It has seemed to me that 50" displays look better (in general) than 42"ones. Oddly enough, even SD seems to scale better to a 50"HD than a 42"HD (ED still looks better to be with SD signals.) Perhaps it's due to the difference in horizontal scaling to 1366 pixels instead of 1024 - I don't know, but all the 50" units look cleaner than 42s (even the "cheaper" ones.) This unit is priced in a 42" range, so I'm thinking it may be a great buy.
The other thing I was thinking was that sometimes marketers like Akai want to get in on a market share, so they flood the market with really good units in hopes of creating a name. Then the prices go up (or stay about the same in the case of tech stuff - larger profit margins anyway.) I just may get it. I'm sure if I don't like it once it's home, I can return it.

I can't find a link to this online (at Akai or Costco) but there was a 50" Akai Plasma in Costco today - Anyone know anything about these? Who makes the glass/scaler etc?

[MSRP ONLY]

I just got through looking at this very model at Sam's and I was blown away. I've been to Circuit City, Best Buy and Sam's today and looked at every single television. Plasma, CRT, DLP, LCD and this Akai at Sam's has the sharpest and best picture of anything I saw today.

I would really love to know who makes the glass and other components for this model. I wasn't going to go with a plasma but if this model checks out OK for quality components then I don't have a choice. I can't pass this up. It really looked great.

Did anyone get the model number?

The model number is PDP5016H

This particular product is from an AKAI factory.

V

Silly question -- the model number was in the first post.

There's absolutely nothing to be found about this model on the net.

Consider yourself fortunate that your eyes see things this way, they will save you a boatload of money. One thing that I would suggest is to view the different sets properly adjusted (they come from the factory in "torch mode" which makes the 'brighter' picture stand out in a row) and in a real viewing room (not fluorescent lights). Only then will you know what each set can do. If you still see the Akai as the clear winner, buy it and enjoy!

Thanks. Actually it didn't seem overly bright or saturated at all.

You mention viewing them properly adjusted. How is this done? I don't know how to adjust them.

Although I did love the picture of the Akai, it is a relatively "no name" brand. That is why I'd love to know more about the guts before buying.


Believe me I know.I've searched.


How do you know?
Aren't they all?

I just came from Sam's and saw the AKAI 50". I too would like to know more about this model. It is 2 Grand under any other 50" Plasma. Now, when I was in Sam's Club, the AKAI was not as bright as the other models. I was trying to figure out if the AKAI look was the correct one, or the brighter displays. They were playing that movie with Ice Cube, the one where he is trying to take care of his girlfriend's kids, so he can make an impression on her.

I thought the the AkAI had more of a filtered film look. The other displays were very bright, the skin tones bright, colors bright. The Akai was more film like, subdued. I am not sure if that is bad or good. I wish a sporting event would have been on, so I could have had a better reference, for me anyway. I will go back and look again. It is hard to tell in stores, because you don't know about the settings. Anyway, just my two cents.

I have looked and looked for information on this model, but still have not found any info. I went back to Sam's Club again. This time I talked with a sales person, but he knew nothing about it. Again, the picture did not look as bright as the other plasmas. I would compare it to the picture on the DLP's when they are viewed front and center. The nice thing about the AKAI is that it is a plasma, and you can see from any side angle, and up and down.

As I stated before, Akai issues new model numbers depending on which retailer receives them. I know that when Costco receives them, it will have a different model number as well.

My plan is to purchase from Costco and adjust the set using Avia or the like and get the most out of the display. I will be doing a lot of DVI out from my HTPC so I'm not that concerned about component/analog issues.

And best of all, if it craps out at any time, I can return it for replacement or cash back. I would never buy this particular set from Sam's. (Their return policy is much less liberal than Costco's.)

This sounds like a Panny panel to me (panny glass, anyway), just from the size, resolution, and CR specs. That doesn't mean Panny makes the whole panel, but it sounds from the specs (assuming they are accurate) that they make the glass.

Are you sure that Costco is going to be getting this set? If so, do you know when? I too would rather buy from Costco. Also, what is AVIA?

The scary thing is, if you go to the Akai website, they don't even list a 50" plasma. They also don't have any sort of support page.

Akai seems like a company that just sort of assembles custom products together for companies like Sam's club. The 50" could be an incredible find that turns out to e an incredible value or the thing could fritz in 2 weeks and there is nowhere to turn for support or repairs.

I saw the 50" akai at costco. The model number is pdp 5006H. The price is $$$$.


[MSRP ONLY]

What did you think? How did it look? I wish we had Costco around here but unfortunately this is Sam's country.

Without knowing how these displays are adjusted I don't think you can be too critical of the PQ until you get it home and set it up properly. Which is what makes the great return policies of Sams and Costco so convenient.

Could also be Samsung, Hitachi, NEC or LG... I think. (Some of those four could also share the same glass with each other, too)

I was on the wrong website. The AKAIUSA.com website shows a 50" plasma.

Here is the link. http://www.akaiusa.com/pdp5091hd.htm#

The model# is pdp5091hd.

wow the 50 inch HDTV model looks nice with the glass cover!

Where did you find that picture?

The one on the website is this?

The glass one would be the Akai PDP5049GHD. (Go up a level and you'll see it. Looks to be an older model; 1000:1 cr, etc)

When I saw the Akai it was sandwiched between two pioneer plasmas, one 43" and one 50". To me the colors on the Akai looked a little washed out compared to the pioneers surrounding it, but not $2000 more (the price of the 50" pioneer is $$$$).

[MSRP ONLY]

Could be, but Panny is the only one I'm familar with with a 3000:1 CR spec; LG and Samsung jumped to 5000:1 (I think Samsung did; but I know LG did); then Samsung intro'd a panel with a claimed 10,000:1, which Sony also uses.

Hitachi used to use Pio glass for their 50; not sure if they still do; their own glass manufacturing plant (used to be FHP; but Hitachi bough out Fuji) just makes 42" and 55" AliS glass, AFAIK.

It looks like NEC standard glass is 1365 x 768, rather than 1366. It still looks like Panny glass to me.