Plasma Screens and related

This link contains some interesting information:

http://www.plasmatvbuyingguide.com/

FAQ, reviews, comparisons, ect.

happy viewing &

happy listening

Adrian

I was advised that plasma screens should last about 10,000 viewing hours - and thats before the pixels start to "blow", ie they become either permanently on or off. With average viewing it should last 10 years before the first "problems" start.

Regarding connection, I have a panasonic 42" fairly early model. I route sky/satellite through the PC connector (using an RGB converter) which works very nicely. My DVD goes via component and the Video goes through the composite input. A bit of a hassle to change, but as I watch about 1 DVD a week and a Video a month (after getting the DVD the Video is only for emergencies), I can manage.

For sound - I route each of the 3 into a different input on my preamp and play through my main speakers. Again to switch sources I need to switch audio inputs.

I may get a Pronto remote that should avoid me having to get a VS1. Which, by the way, Naim are continually promising to deliver but have not yet. By the time they do, I worry that my 10,000 hours will be up.....

cheers

Jonathan

Hey Jonathan -

You could also consider the Home Theatre Master MX-500 universal remote. Its a hybrid button/LCD and is sort of the LP12 of universal remotes. I have macros on mine attached to the source selections so video and audio are switched with just one button push. Check out RemoteCentral.com.

Also, does your screen have an Audio Out? If so, you can run the audio from each component into the screen and just have one input from the screen to your audio system. There may be a degrade in sound quality, but also a gain as you don't have all those inputs being used. Somehow the more things you hang off a preamp the worse it sounds.

You can also "hybrid" wire it so the tele and video are through the TV and the DVD goes straight to your preamp.

- GregB

Insert Witty Signature Line Here

Greg, thanks - but no it only has speaker wire outputs and audio in.

Re Remotes: I currently have a Sony remote which is pretty good actually. I chose after looking on remotecentral. Its the vml900 or something like that. For the price it its good, but macros are limited. To upgrade I thought to go for the pronto, otherwise I didnt think it worth it.

Ill certainly check out your suggested model - the site is very good.

Jonathan

With remotes, some people like the touch screen type and others like hard buttons. When I was shopping, the touch screen ones are "sexier" and look better on the coffee table, but reading user reviews I found tons of people who bought and then returned them. Too large to use in one hand, too dark to see, bothered having to use touchscreen for basic functions like volume up/down and channel up/down, etc.

All a matter of choice.

While I suggest the MX-500, take a look at the wonderful thread by the Forum's own Mr. Weekes on the Pronto:

Killer Pronto Thread

- GregB

Insert Witty Signature Line Here

I have the Marantz version of the Pronto. Very similar, in fact uses the same software on the PC to program it as does the Pronto.

There are enough "hard" buttons for the main functions (eg. channel switching and volume up / down)

I use the rubber on the end of a pencil to run the touchscreen to avoid the risk of wear and tear and scratches. The backlight means you can run it in darkeness so no button groping necessary. So I guess it answers Greg's criticisms.

On other comments about audio. If you have an A/V processor all the audio switching can be done in there, which is particularly usefull because you don't need to keep switching inputs and outputs. They can be quite cheap, there have been quite a lot of good remarks about the Yamaha products on here. If you are interested do a search on "Ÿamaha". They are pretty reasonably priced.

regards

GEOFFP

Re remotes - the Philips ProntoNeo from Richers at £120 is a steal - I have one, and the only real problem I have is that it won't learn my Pioneer Laserdisc codes (well, not all of them) - it got all the others after a little patience...

As for the plasma "contouring" effect, it's probably down to crap compression software on the digital cable more than anything - VHS etc is analog (of course!) so won't have this issue with the MPEG codecs. Of course, it might be a comulative effect, kind of like mild snow on terrestrial; when taped to VHS, the snow causes the actual recording to come out very fizzy indeed...

Why not use your VHS as a tuner if the telly doesn't come with a media box?

10000 hours is pretty good - obviously longer than the ones at Paddington have lasted - those plasmas are totally shagged!

For me, CRT is still the way to go. I'm partially sighted and pretty much all the Plasmas I've seen have a nasty brown tinge to reds and blacks... Nice that there's no flicker though - I can detect flicker on a non-interlaced 75hz monitor so this is a really nice bonus...

When I win the lottery (cough cough )

When the music's over turn out the lights

quote:

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Originally posted by Geoff P:
OOPS! no photo so here it is...

regards

GEOFFP

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Geoff - don't you get disorientated having the picture so far off from the centre speaker/main soundfield? My mate has his system set up like this (even more so) and having the dialog coming 3 foot to the right of the telly (in his case) is a very strange experience...

Nice telly by the way!

When the music's over turn out the lights

quote:

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Geoff - don't you get disorientated having the picture so far off from the centre speaker/main soundfield?

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Actually I guess I have adapted. One thing that helps is having no "toe in" on the main speakers, which I have optimised for stereo music listening. This creates a wider sound stage due to less delay on side wall reflections [This works best for speakers which have a good off axis response].

Also it is quite a small room so there is less space to fill in with the sound field.

These two things together mean that for me there is no problem with off center positioning.

At least there was until you went and pointed it out! Damn it!

regards GEOFFP