Help me choose a 42" TV please

quote:

Originally posted by Richard Adams:
At the same time as getting the new TV I will upgrade my cable package to V+ so I can watch sport in HD.

Hi Richard

I don't know much about tv's but I do have V+ and you can forget sport in HD mate. You'll need Sky sat for that I'm afraid. The only thing we get in HD is the BBC trial channel.

Jay

I use a Panasonic plasma with my DV78 with great results. I have the ED version (480p) but prices have really come down quite a bit on higher resolution models. In my opinion the price difference between plasma and lcd still says to go with plasma. I would suggest the TH-42PX75U...it has two hdmi inputs so you could hook both your dv79 and cable box up via hdmi. If you live in the US, I might recommend dtvcity.com.

Another vote for Panasonic, although I have heard that the brand new Pioneers are awesome (but more expensive).

I've got a V+ box feeding a Sharp LC37XD1E and it looks wonderful. They make a 42" version (LC42XD1E) of this which I reckon you can get for about £1100.

Of course, everry time I mention my screen someone crawls out of the woodwork and starts dissing LCD and the fact it isn't made by Panasonic... but it's Full HD 1080P, upscales SD footage fantastically (note - your V+ box will upscale any program you watch to 1080i - or 720P if that's what you specify - and feed it to the screen for the set to de-interlace), so the internal scaling is of most use on DVD playback, and superior to the internal upscalers of most sub-£500 players I've seen.

I won't tell you it's the best screen in the world... but it's the best I personally have seen (and I've seen the outgoing G7 Pioneers, and the 1080P Panasonic plasma).
Before you part with your cash find a dealer with one, properly set up, and audition it.

Mike

Hi Richard,

Jay is right, Sky HD is the way forward. From a Hi-Def point of view they are leading the field at the moment with 12 channels and by Q1 2008, 90% of Sky programming will be available in HD.

Also, Sky have just signed a deal with Warner Brothers to access their HD movie archive. Sorry Mr Branson!!!!

I've been a 37" Pany owner for 2 years (the 500 range) and was lucky enough to win the new TH-42PX70 last week. Out of the box, with hardly any setup it is spectacular. Sky HD has not looked better and running Blu-Ray via a PS3 - WOW!!

Freeview also looks 10 times better than on the 37" model. The V-Real2 technology doing it's stuff in the background no doubt.

They have 4 versions of the same telly to suit all budgets:

PX7 - low end panel, but great for simple setups and family viewing

PX70 - G10 Panel ( generation 10, basically the latest type of panel available) with 2 HDMI and good sound

PX700 - Same panel as the PX70 but with a higher quality casing and more connections (such as an SD Card slot from your camera). Also better sound than the PX70

PZ700 - Full 1080p HD Panel. The top of all HD technology. But expensive!!!!

The 42PX70 which I have now is £999 with cabinet stand from EmpireDirect. Barmy!!!

My 37" 2 years ago was £2700!!

Colleagues who swear by LCD have Samsung. Again their ranges are split for different budgets and connectivity options.

As you can see, on a personal note I cannot recommend the 42" PX70 Plasma enough. The panel that Vaughn3D mentions is the US version (with different tuner cards etc) of the UK PX70.

Hope that helps.

quote:

Originally posted by Chris Kelly:
Another vote for Panasonic, although I have heard that the brand new Pioneers are awesome (but more expensive).

With Pioneer you´ll have the choice between Full-HD and 1368*768 Pannel 50" or 60". The Full-HD will still be very expensive as my dealer said.
What I think a joke is that the Pioneer 42" will still only have 1024*768 Pixel, especially when you can buy now a Pany 42"-Plasma with Full-HD!
I really expected a 1368*768 resolution for the 42" Pioneer 8th generation .

Hardy

I have a Panasonic 37px70 and the picture quality is excellent. On this basis I would recommend the 42px70.

quote:

in HD.


Hi Richard

I don't know much about tv's but I do have V+ and you can forget sport in HD mate. You'll need Sky sat for that I'm afraid. The only thing we get in HD is the BBC trial channel.

Another vote for the panasonic viera range. Better than lcd IMO and superb all round picture quality. As an aside, because the 42inch viera has speakers underneath instead of on the sides it is less visually dominating in a modest living room.

Thanks for all the replies

The Panasonic range certainly seems well regarded. I'll go and have a look at one tomorrow on my afternoon off

Richard

Hi Richard,

I was after a 37" plasma and opted for the panasonic. the PX70. I'm happy with it. The issue you will become aware of when you get your new and improved box is that some of the broadcasts are Sh.....te, then you fing yourself questioning your purchase, but put on a DVD and all questions are answered. I don't have any HD sources at present so i haven't seen my TV display to it's full capability, until yesterday at a show and it was fab - a HD signal really looks special.

I got mine from Empire Direct for £744, this included the pedestal and a 5 year Panasonic guarantee.

Happy shopping

Don't waste your money unless you can go HD.

This is the biggest con ever. The picture quality is piss-poor compared to a CRT with anything other than an HD source.

Sorry to spoil your fun.

Jono

jono 13 - easy tiger. I wouldn't go that far. It depends on the crt and the plasma!!!! The picture is good on SD, and if i compared it to a 37" CRT i think it would hold up well and i could fit in the same room to watch it.

You haven't spoilt my fun, get shot of your CRT and have some fun yourself, have a dance in your living room with the extra room!!!

quote:

Originally posted by Jono 13:
Don't waste your money unless you can go HD.

This is the biggest con ever. The picture quality is piss-poor compared to a CRT with anything other than an HD source.

Sorry to spoil your fun.

Jono

Hi Jono,

I have the 37" PX70. It replaced a fantastic Tosh CRT. While SD is not quite as good, it's a lot better than I feared. It's very channel dependent but the BBC channels are fine.

The Sky HD channels are glorious though.

Steve

noticed on the av-forums, a few px70 owners have changed them for the panasonic phd10 panel only displays, as they say a lot easier to set up, plus also more options to play about with ?

Hi, I guess it depends on the individual. Personally I couldn't imagine anything more simple than setting up the PX70.

quote:

Originally posted by Steve S1:

The Sky HD channels are glorious though.

Steve

My point exactly. Until freeview HD gets up and running, maybe or mybe not, I will stick to my trusty Beovision.



But in black.

Jono

Take your point Jono, but I watch a lot of HD sport.

Steve,

At least you're using the TV in correct mode.

Jono

PS better picture:

Funky penguins Jono!

I'd like to know why I have a freeview channel called BBC HD but I can only get BBC HD if i buy into the Murdoch extortion sytem. How does that work? Surely as public service broadcaster it is the BBC's duty to provide it to me as part of my licence fee? Or am I missing something?

easy Chris....

You need an HD capable box to decode that HD broadcast.

As well as a Sky HD box, you can also use certain Pace HD satellite boxes, a cable V+ box, or (and this is by no means definate yet) a Freeview HD box... when and IF Ofcom sell a big enough chunk of the air to the broadcasters to let them broadcast a good selection of HD channels.
Until HD is being broadcast in this way on more than a trial basis, no company is likely to sell an HD tuner for just the one channel.

In the meantime, your DTV tuner can see the channel, but doesn't understand the language that broacast is in.

Mike

I see Mike. Cable not an option chez kelly so it's Sky or nothing I guess. Maybe I'm not a sufficiently critical viewer but I think the upscaled dvd's which I watch on my px60 look pretty good as does SD Freeview for the most part. I'd just like to be able to view broadcast HD, if only for the sport.

LCD is certainly the way to go especially for that size screen. I would try the Sony Bravia range - go for the W range or if you can afford the X range takes some beating IMO.

quote:

Originally posted by dazjones:
Jay is right, Sky HD is the way forward. From a Hi-Def point of view they are leading the field at the moment with 12 channels and by Q1 2008, 90% of Sky programming will be available in HD.

Is that 90% of Sky's programs (Sky One etc.), or 90% of the programs (channels) on Sky? There's quite a difference. From what I can see 90% of the channels on Sky are still 4:3 so I doubt if they're rushing to HD.

Duncan

DUNCAN,

90% of Sky's programming. As you think, NOT all digital channels. Sky One, Movies, Arts by Q12008. The Beeb "trial" continues (Glastanbury broadcasts at the mo look great). The Beeb Trust promises 9 hours a day by the Autumn.

Channal 5 (5, Life & US) on their website suggest a start in HD ready for christmas this year.

Channel 4 - no news.
ITV - no news.

As over 80% of the Governments allowed bandwidth for terrestial/satellite is currently taken up with analogue, we all have to wait for total switchover to see the benefits.

2012? Think how cheap and great those plasmas & lcd's will be!!!

Best advice!? Wait 5 years before buying a new telly! Hopefully then, HD DVD & Blu-Ray will have sorted their lives out too!!!

quote:

Originally posted by Chris Kelly:
Funky penguins Jono!

I'd like to know why I have a freeview channel called BBC HD but I can only get BBC HD if i buy into the Murdoch extortion sytem. How does that work? Surely as public service broadcaster it is the BBC's duty to provide it to me as part of my licence fee? Or am I missing something?

At least you are in the right place to get the HD freeview transmission are being/have been pumped out of Croyden.

Jono