Plasma or Lcd Tv...driving me mad chosing TV...

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Plasma or Lcd Tv...driving me mad chosing TV...

54 posts & 27 voices | Started 2 years ago by crazant | Latest reply from mudpup

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crazant - Member

Got about £600 to spend on a new TV, have been looking on the internet for ages trying to find the best model for my needs and everytime i get close i find a review which puts me off, up to now i have only looked at LCD but looking on Play last night this plasma got some excellent reviews

http://www.play.com/Electronics/Electronics/4-/5267283/Panasonic-Viera-37-TH-37PX80-HD-Ready-Freeview-Widescreen-Plasma-TV/Product.html

So what i use the Tv for is.
Normal Tv through Sky which i will upgrade to HD soon...
Dvd's
No PC
Probably no gaming
Blu Ray to come
Tv will be in the corner of the room and we sit about 2 metres away.
I would like a 37" with full HD or whatever will play 1080..

I am aware the Plasma's are more expensive to run but a quick look online only shows a £20 a year premium over most LCD's ..so i can live with that...

I plan to run this Home Cinema through it..
http://www.play.com/Electronics/Electronics/-/281/363/-/5267265/Panasonic-SC-PT467EB-K-Direct-iPod-Docking-Rear-Wireless-Home-Cinema-System-With-Digital-Receiver/Product.html?searchtype=genre

Which is why i am looking at the above Plasma...

So singletrackers out there :
Pro's and Cons of Plasma and LCD...
Which models around the £600 mark.
Apart from John lewis who don't have much stock who else does a good warranty...

Sorry for the long post but need to make my mind up and i'm getting really wound up with it now...

thanks
Anthony

Posted 2 years ago #
snaps - Member

I bought plasma (37" Panasonic) because the picture was better for the things I watch - LCD gives better colour on cartoons & video games, I compared a few plasma & LCDs side by side in Richersounds

Posted 2 years ago #
BlingBling - Member

I have a 50" plasma however I'd never buy a plasma over an LCD, ever.

The new LCD panels are fantastic.

Pioneer who were the largest producer of plasma panels has just pulled out of the business meaning Panasonic who use their panels (and was arguably the best plasma TV manufacturer) will also 100% switch to LCD.

The cost of running and cost of repair should make you buy LCD.

Posted 2 years ago #
mastiles_fanylion - Member

TBF you would not be disappointed with either. As you have already found out, one has benefits over the other but the other has further benefits over the former. So either way you are compromising but either way you will be happy.

Posted 2 years ago #
snaps - Member

I think its the other way round as Panasonic manufacture there own panels at the Matsushita Electric Industries plants they own.

Posted 2 years ago #
BlingBling - Member

snaps, Pana dont make any panels.

I work in the electronics industry, specifiacally in this area

Posted 2 years ago #
mudshark - Member

TBF you would not be disappointed with either

Well I was in a store recently looking at the various TVs and they were all showing the same film withe the credits rolling. Some were really jerky whilst others were as smooth as you'd expect. Not sure why but I'd think I'd wasted my money getting one of the jerky ones.

Posted 2 years ago #
Drac - Moderator

I work in the electronics industry, specifiacally in this area

Panasonic did supply Pioneer your mixed up.

Oops Sorry my mistake Panasonic make the glass.

Posted 2 years ago #
crazant - Member

mudshark, thats my problem if you go into Currys or Comet to get some ideas some of the pictures are crap, like you say very jerky which is why the reviews on the Plasma got me thinking, the only problem now is getting the Plasma with a decent warranty..

Cheers so far everyone

Posted 2 years ago #
Bimbler - Member

The new LED backlit ones (LCD) are meant to be seriously impressive, but think they're still quite pricey.

Posted 2 years ago #
SiB - Member

Recently purchased Toshiba Regza 1080i from play for about £550......cant say anything bad about it, works a treat, highly recommended

Posted 2 years ago #
Del - Member

i'm just glad you lot are buying all these tvs now so that when they finally get them right i can buy a decent one.

Posted 2 years ago #
mastiles_fanylion - Member

Some were really jerky whilst others were as smooth as you'd expect. Not sure why but I'd think I'd wasted my money getting one of the jerky ones.

But you misunderstand me - inherent picture quality of one over the other is negligible. Obviously anyone would be daft to buy a set that is simply not as good as another - but that is down to the electronics driving the screen, not the screen itself.

Posted 2 years ago #
snaps - Member

http://www.cdrinfo.com/sections/news/Details.aspx?NewsId=24012

Panel production

Posted 2 years ago #
sootyandjim - Member

snaps - You must have faked that site, he works in the industry you know?

Posted 2 years ago #
molgrips - Member

Well when I bought one recently I decided I didn't want to waste energy, so didn't go for plasma. That and the fact they need cooling so they have a fan inside. Then I went to the lcdtvreview site (I think it's that with a .org) and they said Sony was best, and I got a good deal on one so that was that. I can't stand shopping around too much, it kills all the enjoyment

Note though that it looks far far better in my house than it did in the shop. In the shop you had to stand too close, so you can see loads of picture artefacts. In my house though I'm the right distance away and it looks lovely.

Posted 2 years ago #
mrmichaelwright - Member

don't bother

buy this and just sit a bit closer

Posted 2 years ago #
stumpy01 - Member

I thought plasma had a fairly limited life-span or is that not the case anymore?

Friend of mine recently splashed out on a huge 1080p Sony (I think it's 40") and using his PS3 blu-ray discs look absolutely stunning on it.

Posted 2 years ago #
mastiles_fanylion - Member

I have a Panasonic Viera, my in-laws have a Sony and my mum has a Samsung. All LCD.

The Sony is flat and lifeless (I did play with the settings and got it much better, but my father-in-law didn't like it and put it back to factory settings). The Samsung plays standard broadcast quite well but is very 'soft' - which is, I assume, their attempt to hide pixelation. The Panasonic generally shows pictures very well - certainly on DVDs, BluRay and gaming. It does fall over a bit sometimes with some daytime broadcasts/broadcasts from older originals.

You simply have to go into a shop and compare, like-for-like, different sets showing the sort of programming you watch most of.

Posted 2 years ago #
stumpy01 - Member

How much of the screen 'quality' comes from the processing in the Freeview box or whatever? I would have though pixelation and other artefacts come more from the source than the screen?
Do most TVs have built in freeview now? We've got a great 32" Sony CRT and aren't planning on upgrading anytime soon, so have a Thomson freeview box (which is a piece of dog poo).

Posted 2 years ago #
GeeZed - Member

I bought a Panasonic 42" plasma last November after much online research and instore viewings. Very happy with mine, great sound and picture quality with Standard Definition (SD) broadcasts and now I've upgraded to HD....wow....absolutely stunning!

JohnLewis.com is your friend, they offer free delivery and a free 5-year Guarantee. Do your homework and then order online!

Posted 2 years ago #
mastiles_fanylion - Member

Screen quality can come from any point along the line. Just like a poor quality set-top box or a crap signal, the internal electronics of the set have an impact on the picture quality. To a MUCH lesser extent, the quality of any scart/composite/rgb/HDMI cables used will have an effect too - but bizarrely some people will happily spend silly money on them in the expectation that it will revolutionise the quality of the picture.

Posted 2 years ago #
mrmichaelwright - Member

things to remember -

freeview is crap, digital terrestrial (and non HD satellite) broadcast in no way compares to the picture quality of analogue

a high proportion of the image quality (contrast etc) comes form the set up of the screen itself, most manufacturers ship them with default setting which are rubbish (like 100% backlight level)

unless you need the space, buy a crt!

Posted 2 years ago #
mastiles_fanylion - Member

Another way of explaining this is the 'digital camera' situation - some people assume that more pixels = better quality, but it is the internal electronics and how they interpret the image that have the greater impact on the picture quality.

Posted 2 years ago #
Del - Member

unless you need the space, buy a crt!

here here, if you can still find one. i started looking at chrimbo when our crt started playing up. fortunately it sorted itself out.

Posted 2 years ago #
mrmichaelwright - Member

I use HD crt monitors from time to time and they are still used in film making

they are STUNNING but getting rare in the consumer market

Don't forget HDMI is the same as DVI so even a CRT computer monitor with a DVI input and a decent scan rate will work

Posted 2 years ago #
toby1 - Member

Wait and buy OLED if you can that is.

Posted 2 years ago #
molgrips - Member

I would have though pixelation and other artefacts come more from the source than the screen?

Most of what you see on a nice HD telly is the effect of converting the SD source to HD, and that is different on different tellies. They do do a lot of processing inside though even for HD sources.

I dunno about freeview being worse than analogue. Doesn't look that way in my experience. However SD stuff on an HD telly doesn't look as good.. if you upgrade from traditional telly to an HD one with built in freeview, things could well look worse - if you sit too close

Posted 2 years ago #
fontmoss - Member

richer sounds had an LG 37" lcd for 400 i think? think was/is full HD

Posted 2 years ago #
mrmichaelwright - Member

SD source on an HD depends on how well the TV deals with sample phase, in general they do it pretty well, a 1080 panel will do this better than a 720 one because of the higher number of lines available per sample

The bandwidth of terrestrial SD digital broadcast is far narrower per channel than it's equivalent was on analogue and the quality suffers as a result. i'm talking rural situations with no RF reflections here though.

Posted 2 years ago #
sofatester - Member

Life is tough isn't it?

Posted 2 years ago #
andytherocketeer - Member

You simply have to go into a shop and compare, like-for-like, different sets showing the sort of programming you watch most of.

My tips are... Ignore the TV HD loops they show all day, especially if there's cartoons. Make them show some DVDs (and BluRay), and even if you hate sport, make them show a footy or rugby match. Then decide. Even now you see TVs where the grass pitch keeps jumping between crystal sharp and blurred as the camera pans/scans, enough that I felt physically ill in the store and had to leave.

Currently looking for a 37in LCD. Panny Viera and Philips are top of my list at the moment. Any ideas how to get rid of a 32inCRT that's so heavy I can't lift it?

Posted 2 years ago #
GavinT - Member

You can buy very high quality CRTs off Ebay for peanuts these days. Which is great, will keep me going until this flat screen stuff is preperly sorted out.

Posted 2 years ago #
crazant - Member

Will John lewis order anything or has it got to be a Tv from the website, they don't have a huge stock....

Andy which Panny you looking at, there are 2 on Play.com seem very alike and one is £639 the other £649

Posted 2 years ago #
IHN - Member

You can buy very high quality CRTs off Ebay for peanuts these days.

Care to point me in the direction?

Posted 2 years ago #
BlingBling - Member

Why do I even bother

Posted 2 years ago #
crazant - Member

right have i got this right....
£659 at play..
http://www.play.com/Electronics/Electronics/4-/8115839/Toshiba-Regza-XV-Series-37-37XV555D-HD-1080p-Freeview-Widescreen-LCD-TV/Product.html

£549 at John Lewis...
http://www.johnlewis.com/230527619/Product.aspx?source=35735

and today only £459 at Amazon

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Toshiba-37XV555DB-Widescreen-1080P-Freeview/dp/B00179SI3E/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1236088465&sr=8-1

So first of all is this the same Tv and if so can i go to John Lewis and do the price match thing...

Any views on the TV...

Cheers

Posted 2 years ago #
andytherocketeer - Member

crazant,
Panny was 37LZD80, LZD85 or LZD800. Shop has the 1st 2 on display, but not the 3rd, both reduced to just under €1000 I think, but I'm sure there's better deals out there.
If I buy, it will be FullHD. Current CRT picture keeps going pink, but a power cycle usually sorts it.

Posted 2 years ago #
crazant - Member

Hi andy yes Play has the LZD80 and the LXD85 there is only a tenner between them, which do think is best..just a bit worried about only getting 12 months warranty, i can get another year using my credit card but still not a patch on John Lewis..any thoughts on the Toshiba in my above post ..seems a bargain..
Cheers
Anthony

Posted 2 years ago #
andytherocketeer - Member

Never really been impressed by Toshiba and Sony LCDs (in the budget to reasonable cost range), but to be fair I've not really checked the latest models. Hardly any difference between those 2 Pannys. They look identical, picture looks identical, but I think 1 has an extra HDMI socket (4 instead of 3).

Posted 2 years ago #

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