I'm buying this TV - what do you reckon?

LittleYoda

Hi

After doing a bit of research I have decided on treating myself to the following:

http://www.richersounds.com/showproduct.php?cda=showproduct&pid=PANA-TH37PX80

Just a few questions:

1) Will this set get the most out of Sky HD? Will I see the benefit of Sky HD on this set?

2) Also considering getting a PS3 - both for gaming and Blu- Ray. Again will I get the most of Blu-Ray on this set?

3) Whilst I appreciate no-one has got a crystal ball, in terms of getting the best deal, do you reckon I should just get one now, or wait for the Jan Sales??

That's it - anyone got any advice/suggestions hints or tips?

Thanks for your time.....

LittleYoda

:rotfl:

Cat695

looks nice and panasonic are a good make.....but the rule of thumb...though it does NOT have to be followed...is that anything less than 42 inch go with LCD and anything over go with Plasma

You may find the picture a little darker than LCD

The TV is NOT 1080p so no you won't be getting the full effect of HD from either SkyHD or PS3....1080p is the better of the two

and also the pixal resolution is small compared to other tv's the high the numbers the better

However the contrast isn't bad (you can get 50000:1 now)

And the Hz is good at 100Hz (you can get 200Hz now)

So if you want to get the best from HD go for 1080p with 100Hz (200Hz if you can afford it) and a higher pixal resolution (dots on the screen)

And if your happy with 37 inch then I would go for LCD (alot brighter than Plasma)

I would reccomend you go into a shop and see the two screens together (Plasma and LCD) then you'll get a better idea of what you want.

John lewis though not always the cheapest has a very good warranty that comes with their electronics (5 years at no extra cost)

shaven-monkey

it will work with a ps3 and sky HD.
It'll work with blue ray.

The january sales started last month. Wait until january and you can get it cheaper in the closing down sales.

richardw

Freeview mpeg4 is better than mpeg2.

Traveller1981

Don't worry about 1080p on a screen this size, and Sky HD is only 1080i anyway isn't it?

The pana you have picked is a cracking screen for the money. I wouldn't buy an LCD unless it was smaller than 37". Not sure who's rule of thumb was mentioned above. On the whole, Plasma can handle motion better than LCD, and have better blacks.

Cat695 has some good points but seems to be caught up in the numbers game a little bit too much.

You will be pleased with your purchase should you go for that screen.
Just remember to head over to AVForums to get some advice on setting up the picture settings.

BillScarab

We have that set, it is superb.

The rule of thumb about LCD/Plasma and screen size is rubbish. The fact is it's hard to make Plasmas in small screen sizes (The LG 32" is the smallest I think) so for small screens you have to go with LCD. Conversely it used to be hard to make large LCDs although that is not the case now. Go for whichever you prefer.

Personally I prefer Plasmas, I find them better for SD and the blacks are better. No-one broadcasts in 1080p so it is only of concern if you have a PS3 or Blu-Ray player, even then a HD ready set will give a good picture.

Also why is brighter better? Unless you want everything to look like a cartoon. I run mine on the dimmest of the four settings and find it fine.

One thing to note is that a lot of people recommend 'running in' Plasmas for the first couple of hundred hours or so. If you look on avforums there is a thread dedicated to Panasonic plasmas and you can find lots of advice there.

S0litaire

LittleYoda wrote: »

Hi

After doing a bit of research I have decided on treating myself to the following:

http://www.richersounds.com/showproduct.php?cda=showproduct&pid=PANA-TH37PX80

Just a few questions:

1) Will this set get the most out of Sky HD? Will I see the benefit of Sky HD on this set?

2) Also considering getting a PS3 - both for gaming and Blu- Ray. Again will I get the most of Blu-Ray on this set?

3) Whilst I appreciate no-one has got a crystal ball, in terms of getting the best deal, do you reckon I should just get one now, or wait for the Jan Sales??

That's it - anyone got any advice/suggestions hints or tips?

Thanks for your time.....

LittleYoda

:rotfl:

Few things the TV is "HD Ready" which means it is a 780p monitor

from_link wrote:

Pixel Resolution - Horizontal x vertical 1024 x 720

This is 780p resolution.

The monitor will be fine for PS3 (most games are 780p) and SkyHD. (they use 1080i).

If you want to have true 1080p then look for a TV / Monitor labeled as "FullHD" or have a resolution of '1920 x 1080'

Traveller1981

I think S0litaire means 720p, hence the resolution of 1024 x 720 in the post above.

I'd agree with Bill. I always favour plasma over LCd, but for the bedroom, there were no 32" plasma's around when I bought my Sony. I was never a fan of LCD before the sony, but at 32" it is a cracking little screen.

I have a panasonic 50PX70 and the picture quality is fantastic. Don't worry about all the "you need full HD" peeps. They just like big numbers!

Obviously full HD at the rigth screen size, distance from screen, and being fed from the right source is fantastic, but they tend to be a little weaker on SD content.

Try a few out before you buy and see what you like. What some people like, might not neccessarily be what you like. If you go to comet/currys etc to try them out, take your own DVD or ask them to let you watch normal TV, and have a play with the settings. Electrical stores seem to think having the TV's set to Dynamic or Vivid is the be all and end all of TV settings, but the truth of the matter is, it makes them look worse!

S0litaire

Traveller1981 wrote: »

I think S0litaire means 720p, hence the resolution of 1024 x 720 in the post above.

Eek your right!! (Keep typing 780 instead of 720!!) Remind me to proof read before submitting :D

I'm going to pick up a 21.5 1080p LCD Monitor for my room (link it with my Sky digi box and PC, stick on a half decent speaker system and i got a good basis for a HD TV system for my bedroom.

aliEnRIK

Its a fantastic hdtv
It will trounce most similar priced 1080P sets for quality
Buy with confidence

robredz

If you are feeling a little green as in eco beware of large screen plasmas, they eat juice, from 350 watts upwards.

Large screen LCD's are also fairly power hungry 200 + watts