Protagonist Posted April 6, 2007 Posted April 6, 2007 Hi All, Just need some suggestions on models I should look at if I am going to purchase an LCD/Plasma based on the following needs: Widescreen HD Ready (1366 x 768) Resolution Built in HD Tuner HDMI, VGA/DVI 40 - 42" Screen Size Built in Speakers PQ = Very good to Excellent Remote Control Good Warranty Budget: $2000 - $2,500 I thought it was all easy until I went to HN last night. So many panels! Thanks for the help!
Peterpack Posted April 6, 2007 Posted April 6, 2007 Yep my research also led me to the Pansonics over LG and other brands in similar price range
complectus Posted April 6, 2007 Posted April 6, 2007 If you can find one, try to have a look at the Hitachi 42PD960DTA. To my eyes, it's better than the Panasonic & even the much more expensive Pioneer. The panel has better resolution (1080 lines & 1080P signal compatibility) & the extra detail in the Hitachi's picture is very obvious when watching HD, even from a reasonable viewing distance, at least to my eyes... I live in Newcastle & I've seen this TV showing the SC10 HD test loop in 1080i a number of times & it's very impressive. At JB HiFi Kotara, the Panasonic, Hitachi & Pioneer are lined up next to each other & in HD the Hitachi is in a different league. Green smears in the middle distance on the other 2 became finely detailed leaves & branches on the Hitachi. Even the cabinet looks better, I think, & that rotating stand is wayyyy cool... LOL The Panasonic has better blacks & maybe better colours (although that might be because of the way the TV I looked at was set up), & the further away from the TV you sit, the less the advantage of the Hitachi's better detail... Also I have no idea how well either TV handles SD, which unfortunately is probably still more important than HD performance, at least for a little while longer. They're both very good TVs & if you decide to get plasma over LCD, I'm sure either would be a good choice.
Inego1503560167 Posted April 6, 2007 Posted April 6, 2007 I've got the Hitachi 42PD960 and am very impressed to date (and, as I keep saying, it's a much better looking object than the Pana). SD is really good too. But you can probably get the Pana for a couple of hundred bucks cheaper - you might perhaps get the Hitachi at $2500, but unlikely to do it with more than 12 mths warranty. Kent
jfbari Posted April 6, 2007 Posted April 6, 2007 I am a Pana TH-42PX600A owner so my opinion is probably biased. I came to my purchase decision after many hours spent trolling this forum. Purchase factors and final decisions are many and varied and enough to drive you nuts. The one thing that I didnt take too much notice of was what the display looked like in the shops. I doubt if the retailers would spend much time (if any) setting the screen up for best viewing. Then again, your own viewing preferences may and probably do differ from others. My decision was ultimaly made due to the panel being made in Japan and the apparant lack of major reportable issues and faults from other owners. However, from all reports, Panasonics warranty service doesnt seem all that flash but hoping never to need it. Go the Pana
Protagonist Posted April 6, 2007 Author Posted April 6, 2007 All, Thank you for the informative responses! Looks like I will go HN tomorrow and look for both models suggested. As you may have seen, I have also been asking about the Sony X 40" Just wondering... 1) 1080 will be pointless on a 40" - 42" screen when you will be sitting 2 - 3 meters away? 2) LCDs produce less burn in than Plasmas? 3) LCDs produce less heat than Plasmas? 4) Plasmas last longer than LCDs? Thanks for the help!
nang3 Posted April 6, 2007 Posted April 6, 2007 I was in the same possition a few months back and went for a Samsung S series LCD, no regrets at all and the PQ is superior (IMO) to plasma... you could get an R series 40" Sammy LCD for about $2400 from JB's etc
PersianImmortal Posted April 6, 2007 Posted April 6, 2007 I came to my purchase decision after many hours spent trolling this forum. I'm pretty sure you mean trawling the forums; if you spent hours trolling it you wouldn't be very popular here Just as a bit of input, the Panasonic should be a good choice of price/performance. As for your queries about burn-in - check the Burn-in sticky at the top of this forum. LCDs have no burn-in, only image retention, but Plasmas also rarely have burn-in these days either. In regards to your viewing distance question, again check the viewing distance sticky at the top of the forum. 1080p would not make much difference on a 42" screen at a few meters away I would say. LCDs do produce less heat than plasmas, but unless you sit 10cm away from the screen it's not an issue either way. The LCD vs. Plasma choice is a personal one; some people abhor the LCD's image quality, some love it. So as you say, take the time to go out and see the difference for yourself.
complectus Posted April 6, 2007 Posted April 6, 2007 As you may have seen, I have also been asking about the Sony X 40" To my eyes, these sets look stunning. Whether that's due to their resolution, their image processing, the non-reflectivity of the panel compared to plasma or their wide-gamut backlighting, I can't say, but their picture is lovely. If I had to guess why, I'd guess it was mostly the backlight because the lower resolution V series has it too, & looks nearly as good. But they're too expensive.
jfbari Posted April 6, 2007 Posted April 6, 2007 I'm pretty sure you mean trawling the forums; if you spent hours trolling it you wouldn't be very popular here Absolutely I must have been reading posts from "Panasung" when I wrote that
pgdownload Posted April 6, 2007 Posted April 6, 2007 1) 1080 will be pointless on a 40" - 42" screen when you will be sitting 2 - 3 meters away? Probably not pointless at 2m, but the extra $$ is probably not worth the slight PQ increase you'd get. 2) LCDs produce less burn in than Plasmas? As Persion says, LCDs problem is blurring on fast motion, Plasmas is burn in. Both issues are almost non existent in modern sets (Motion blur in sports probably still a bit of an issue for some). 3) LCDs produce less heat than Plasmas? Yep. 4) Plasmas last longer than LCDs? Watching 8 hours a day, Plasma might be expected to last 10 years and a LCD 20 years (LCD also fixable by replacing the light source only at this point.) Plasma is more recently catching up to LCD though in how long it will last. But these days keeping a TV for more than 10 years seems unlikely. Regards Peter Gillespie
Peterpack Posted April 7, 2007 Posted April 7, 2007 let's be realistic, if a tv lasts 5-6 years you'll be happy. Imagine what tvs will be around in 5 years time !
Protagonist Posted April 7, 2007 Author Posted April 7, 2007 Thank you for the reponses gents! Well, this is going to be tough! Original budget was a maximum $2,500, but once my dad saw the X Series, he was like OMFG!!! The model we looked at was the smallest X series, the 40". The reason why we are buying a tele: a) We need another set Everyone we know has one except us! Now, the sole purpose of this is just for normal FTA viewing. I would like to take it further and have console gaming - Xbox 360/PS3 and HD-DVD/BLU-RAY. Currently considering 46" V, or 40" X!
Nevyn72 Posted April 7, 2007 Posted April 7, 2007 everyone always ends up blowing their budget What's a budget?
jfbari Posted April 7, 2007 Posted April 7, 2007 I would go the extra inches with the "V" series over the "X" series. Others have mentioned it on this forum and I will agree that while your set may look enormous for the first few weeks, it quickly "shrinks". Whatever you think is a good size go the next one up. I have had my Pana 42in for 3 months and am already in the market for the 50in..... My viewing distance from screen is 2.8 metres My excuse to the minister for finance....nobody wants to watch the small 68cm family room tv now....time for another one. Also, since my purchase, the 50in panel now can be had for almost the same price I paid for the 42in.
Protagonist Posted April 7, 2007 Author Posted April 7, 2007 Just measured the lounge room. Distance from where my head is, to where the LCD/Plasma would be. Its around 3.10 - 3.30 meters, so I guess 1080P would be useless! So it looks like I may consider the 46" V over the 40" X! Anyone here managed to snap up a 46" V for around 3K? Contrast and brightness seems low, should I be concerned? Contrast: 1300:1 (On-screen), 5000:1 (Dynamic) Brightness: 450cd/m2
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