Which LCD or Plasma set?

aliEnRIK

donnajunkie wrote: »

i know settings are wrong in shops but they are on all the tvs so it is reasonable to say i can still compare each of the tvs to each other. i know the burn in goes away after a period of time but i dont want to be watching a tv with burn in for 6 months before it clears up.
i think the difference between the two panasonics is one is 100hz and one isnt. my thinking is if i am going to splurge on a new tv then i want it to be full hd, 100hz and bigger than the one we have(37inch or 40inch). i want a reliable model not just in terms of quality picture but also i dont want it to be prone to breaking down. thats the problem with places like what hifi they talk about how good the features are but they dont mention lastability.

hmmmm ~ I COMPLETELY disagree with the "reasonable to say i can still compare each of the tvs to each other" comment! The BEST tvs DONT have all the extra 'gimmics' built in and so will probably look worse (Which is why they do it, people then buy the c*apper tvs)
Anyways, all 3 manufacturers build their tvs to last, so on THAT front at least your fine (Though id say Sony and Pans build quality is a tad better than Samsungs)

donnajunkie

why would they want to push the rubbish tvs? usually the better tvs cost more and they want us to spend as much as possible dont they? i know what you mean by gimmicks our lg has something called xd engine that makes no difference as far as i can see. in other settings we can choose between dynamic, normal and mild. normal always looks the best out of the three but we dont use it because for something reason we hear a humming sound when it is set to normal. it also has a cinema setting for films but i cant see any difference. i must say i get seduced by the samsung when i see but but my gut instinct is telling me to go for panasonic. my uncle recently got a sony and it is excellent compared to his previous sharp and our lg.

edit.
are all panasonic tvs viera?

Millionaire

donnajunkie wrote: »

you say similarly priced well wont that be because the 100hz tv is likely to have a weaker spec in other areas if it is the same price? isnt 100hz supposed to help with clarity when there is alot of movement? like in a footie match.
we are hoping to get a tv soon and are torn between these three.

http://www.comet.co.uk/shopcomet/product/472069/PANASONIC-TX-37LZD85

http://www.comet.co.uk/shopcomet/product/456969/SAMSUNG-LE40A656

http://www.comet.co.uk/shopcomet/product/449881/SONY-KDL40V4000?cm_sp=FeatureEnd-_-Plasma_and_LCD_TVs-_-position1

Hi Donnie, I recently brought the Sony you have linked to. Its great, After doing quite abit of research between Plasma and LCD I went for LCD as the Sony has lower power consumption also Plasma's tend to have glass screens which whilst stronger if the position of the TV means light reflects on it then the LCD will be clearer to look at.

Black levels are great on the Sony 40V4000.

I recommend you get it from John Lewis as you get free delivery and FREE 5 year guarantee for the same price.:beer:

http://www.johnlewis.com/230480956/Product.aspx

I also looked at the Panasonic but you get an extra 3 inches with the Sony and also I think it looks better.

aliEnRIK

donnajunkie wrote: »

why would they want to push the rubbish tvs? usually the better tvs cost more and they want us to spend as much as possible dont they? i know what you mean by gimmicks our lg has something called xd engine that makes no difference as far as i can see. in other settings we can choose between dynamic, normal and mild. normal always looks the best out of the three but we dont use it because for something reason we hear a humming sound when it is set to normal. it also has a cinema setting for films but i cant see any difference. i must say i get seduced by the samsung when i see but but my gut instinct is telling me to go for panasonic. my uncle recently got a sony and it is excellent compared to his previous sharp and our lg.

edit.
are all panasonic tvs viera?

They push them so that they 'sell the stock' they get. They know those that KNOW their tvs will buy the better tvs.
Yes, the 'xd engine' you speak of is a 'gimmick'. Samsungs have them falling out of the menus! What they tend to do is 'enhance contrast'. This gives a great appearance to start with (When done well) but has all sorts of bad effects. Nothing looks as it should, motion is a MAJOR problem, pictures lose TRUE detail and so on and so forth.

Whichever tv you plump for, switch off ALL the 'gimmicks' and calibrate the tv using a THX setup disc.

Dependant on your mains supply you may well benefit froma decent 'mains conditioner' too ~
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Tacima-CS929-Conditioner-Frequency-Interference/dp/B000PS5700
If you dont use one then plug the tv DIRECTLY into the mains

If you need any help just give me a nudge

Millionaire

In regards to pushing certain makes, I visited many retailers and independents whilst browsing for a TV just to get a hands on look at them, the prices and also get numerous opinions from people. One thing of interesting note was I was told that the there are greater profit margins for LG and Samsung for retailers and they try to push them. Now they tend to not be as expensive as the Sony's and Panasonic's for similar spec. So that was quite interesting to hear.

The other thing was that the Panasonic and Sony's were the more reliable than other makes and generally had the best picture.

donnajunkie

aliEnRIK wrote: »

They push them so that they 'sell the stock' they get. They know those that KNOW their tvs will buy the better tvs.
Yes, the 'xd engine' you speak of is a 'gimmick'. Samsungs have them falling out of the menus! What they tend to do is 'enhance contrast'. This gives a great appearance to start with (When done well) but has all sorts of bad effects. Nothing looks as it should, motion is a MAJOR problem, pictures lose TRUE detail and so on and so forth.

Whichever tv you plump for, switch off ALL the 'gimmicks' and calibrate the tv using a THX setup disc.

Dependant on your mains supply you may well benefit froma decent 'mains conditioner' too ~
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Tacima-CS929-Conditioner-Frequency-Interference/dp/B000PS5700
If you dont use one then plug the tv DIRECTLY into the mains

If you need any help just give me a nudge

i've never heard of those things before. how do i workout if i actually need one.

aliEnRIK

Millionaire wrote: »

In regards to pushing certain makes, I visited many retailers and independents whilst browsing for a TV just to get a hands on look at them, the prices and also get numerous opinons from people. One thing of interesting note was I was told that the there are greater profit margins for LG and Samsung for retailers and they try to push them. Now they tend to not be as expensive as the Sony's and Panasonics for similair spec.

I would always advise to NEVER go off 'specs'
LG in particular tend to have 'off the chart' specs, but at the expense of ACTUAL picture quality. Just because it looks good 'on paper' doesnt mean it IS good.

donnajunkie

are john lewis reliable on delivery and customer service?

aliEnRIK

donnajunkie wrote: »

i've never heard of those things before. how do i workout if i actually need one.

very hard to say without a gizmo to measure the actual 'mains interference'. Usually its down to where you live. If your close to (Or in) town and surrounded by houses or factories, and especially if you notice a 'voltage drop' (Dimming lights etc) then you will almost certainly benefit from one.
For the sake of 20 quid I think ANYONE would be nuts to not at least try one.
Bare in mind the tacima is a 'budget' conditioner. The 'heavy duty' ones can go for 1500 quid easy!

Heres a quote off amazon ~
"This product works very well indeed. The quality of my LCD picture has improved, with less background haze, better skin tones, deeper blacks, richer reds, and the sound is also much more refined. All in all, this does exactly what it says on the tin, and for an almost give away price. You MUST get one of these for ALL your sound and vision components."

Millionaire

aliEnRIK wrote: »

I would always advise to NEVER go off 'specs'
LG in particular tend to have 'off the chart' specs, but at the expense of ACTUAL picture quality. Just because it looks good 'on paper' doesnt mean it IS good.

Yes, your correct but I was just getting at Donnie's point that retailers are more likely to push the more expensive stock rather than slightly cheaper stuff, and that its not necessarily true. Certain makes offer a greater chunk from the price to the retailer even though it may be cheaper, than, another more expensive make where less profit is to be made.