I you can then full HD 1080P then you are future proofing but I'd be surprised.
A bit of a brain dump before I go to watch a movie downstairs..
1. LCD tends to use a little less electricity
2. Plasma used to have a burn in effect for logos (like Sky) but less so now.
3. LCD uses backlights (LEDs on newest sets but fluorescent tubes on a lot) so contrast can be compromised. Plasma uses... well Plasma at each pixel to create light. You get better blacks on Plasma when the scene has some brightness. Forget the claims of LCD of 30000:1 contrast ratios as that is marketing.
4. When you go back to Virgin Media is that via a V+ box or standard V Box? The V+ can do upscaling of normal SD channels.... we have this. Impressed - yes. But it's 720p or 1080i. As it Sky HD.
5. The only source of true 1080P HD is either Blueray (was also HD-DVD) and a games console.
6. At 40"+ you probably would notice the more pixels. But if you watch only SD channels and DVDs then the resolution is no more than 720x576. Somehow a HD-Ready set has to extrapolate (i.e. guess) to make this 1366x720 and on a Full HD it has to guess the missing information for 1920x1080. A Big difference.
7. Running costs? The bigger the more expensive. People assume LCD is cheaper than CRT even My 32" LCD is rated at 140W. You're probably right on the "it depends" answer. If the screen is dark Plasma does not use so much but will if bright all over. LCD's backlight is always on.
8. If you can get a good price at John Lewis they offer 5 year guarantee on all TVs. They also price match local stores. If your local Currys/Richer Sounds cheaper then go to JL and tell them. They will check it out and then match it.
9. For LCD, it's not only resolution to consider. Refresh rate is important too. My set does 100Hz to avoid some of the blur issues on LCDs (not so much Plasma).
10. Before Xmas JL had some cracking deals on Panasonic Plasmas around 40-42" in size... to big for my wife ;-)
Edited by rtj70 on 27/12/2008 at 19:41
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For LCD, it's not only resolution to consider. Refresh rate is important too. My set does 100Hz to avoid some of the blur issues on LCDs (not so much Plasma).
100 hz has nothing to do with blur. Its the panel pixel response time that matters, under 5ms required to reduce blur.
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One of the many things that swayed us to LCD when we upgraded to 40" (and that now seems too small in our living room, can't believe we used to think a 21" was plenty), was the recognised limited screen life of the plasma and the fact that on our (Sony for info), you can still see the full picure even when sitting to one side of the screen infact almost parallel to it.
Move even slightly to one side of the plasma's i've seen so far and the picture all but disappears, that of course may not matter to you, but it might be a consideration.
So far, probably 3 years now totally reliable and i should hope so too.
If you find any cracking bargains do tell, we wouldn't mind getting 46 or 50" for the living room and sending the 40" to the bedroom.
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>>..the recognised limited screen life of the plasma..>>
Plasma panels life span has been vastly improved and Panasonic's latest models, for instance, are rated for up to 100,000 hours display life; plasma TVs also provide superior display quality to LCD models.
It's LCD models, not plasma, where the display gradually fades when you move to the left or right of the screen - that's why a viewing angle is listed, usually around 170 degrees.
Regarding burn-in on plasma sets, this is also much, much less of an issue; even better is to get rid of logos on-screen such as BBCi, Choose Sport, Form and Results etc by pressing the green button on your remote control.
Although the logo is then non-visible, the BBC channels' red button option, for instance, is still available.
Edited by Stuartli on 27/12/2008 at 23:48
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I am now even more confused - was stupid enough to refer to the Which? reviews online and they come out very strongly in favour of LCD against Plasma!
Definitely seems to be two "corners" with supporters in each side stating theirs is better because of x,y and z.
Maybe that then means that there is much of a muchness between them? I was looking to spend, tops, £600 including extended warranty. John Lewis seems to be a bit dearer, but Argos are advertsing certain lines today with free 3 year warranty.
In this current climate you wonder who is going to be around in 2 or 3 years to honour the warranty you have paid for!!
My search continues today...
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>>My search continues today...>>
Apart from the fact that a Panasonic, whether LCD or plasma, is probably the best TV you can buy today in any size, the five year warranty available is provided by Panasonic itself; it's worth £200 in added value if provided with the TV.
Well worth hunting around for best prices on Panasonic's range of integrated Freesat TVs if you are looking to enjoy high definition transmissions (ITV has stated its HD content will never be available on the Sky platform); sizes range from 32in to 50in. See:
www.panasonic.co.uk/html/en_GB/711712/index.html#a...5
The youngest offspring has had this new Panny model (TH37PX80) since it was launched in July:
tinyurl.com/9efmkg
He paid more than £650 at the time, but this link offers the best price I've found for it to date. Stunning display quality, especially with Blu-Ray, FreeSat, Humax FOXSAT-HDR and other HD sources.
Edited by Stuartli on 28/12/2008 at 13:23
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Richer Sounds have keen, but maybe not the lowest prices. Also knowledgeable staff and a 5 year warranty on a TV for 10% of the purchase price. When we unpacked the one we bought for £345 (insurance £34.50) a card fell out offering the manufacturer's 5 year warranty for £199!!!
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Looking at the same thing myself. My brother is a firm supporter of Richer Sounds - it seems not ony is their 5 year guarantee only 10% of purchase price but if it hasn't been claimed on after 5 years you can get it refunded - but you have to remember to claim within a month of expiry. He had 3 attempts at getting a working Toshiba and they (Richer Sounds) were very helpful. He ended up with a Panasonic!
A neighbour has an enormous plasma screen home cinema and says you can heat the room with it!
I'm leaning towards a 40 or 42 inch LCD with suitable refresh rates.
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Terry, I have always liked Richer Sounds in Glasgow who I have dealt with several times and in this day and age there is part of me that wants to support the "small boys" when I can!
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Polite correction to Terryb. Richer sounds refund warranties on which you do not claim but not on TVs, or so I was told in the Reading branch. With or without a refund a 5year warranty @ 10% of the purchase is a good deal.
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Stuart, when you say Panasonic does the warranty itself is that only when bought in certain places or do they all come with that no matter where bought?
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Stuart when you say Panasonic does the warranty itself is that only when bought in certain places or do they all come with that no matter where bought?>>
It's when Panasonic offers it as an inducement as part of the purchase price that it comes "free", otherwise it's up to £200 extra - still good value even if you have to pay.
It's particularly important to have the warranty if you buy on-line and have the TV delivered by courier - such operators are not always as gentle or careful as they could be and the panels can/may eventually pack up (no matter what the make involved).
One of my friends works for a local independent audio/television/appliances retailer (owns several outlets) whose group is the service agent covering a large area for Panasonic and several other major brands.
When they deliver a television set it is done with the utmost care and, to date, they have never had a customer who has needed to have their TV's panel replaced.
However, the service workshop has a regular influx of courier delivered TVs which have needed to have the panels replaced - in every case workshop staff believe it has been due to careless handling in transit to customers.
Edited by Stuartli on 28/12/2008 at 16:23
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Just had the usual "Christmas catch up" call with my sister in Ireland and it turns out they have recently bought the Panasonic TH-42PX80B. My b-i-l does even more research than me before he buys anything and his friend also has this same model so it looks promising now!
The one consistent answer I have got through all this is that Panasonic make the best TVs or so folk would make you believe!
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I won't comment on makes of TV (current LCD and previous/still current CRT are Panasonic).
I would still say consider a price match at John Lewis for the warranty (5 years - JL will be about as its a partnership). But do not assume the price in store is the same as online. Price match is regional/shop based. My TV was over £600 when I got it via online but a lot less in my local store.... price dropped later by the VAT rate but online had dropped to only £500.
I would have gone for a bigger TV. My wife didn't want bigger than 26" originally (Seen in store) but I got the 32" for less. Then she wondered if they did a 35"!
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>>The one consistent answer I have got through all this is that Panasonic make the best TVs or so folk would make you believe!>>
It's simple - they do in at least 90 per cent or more examples against rivals' offerings....:-)
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As part of my investigation I wanted to see sets side by side. So I went to the local John Lewis. Panasonic, Sony, LG, Samsung, etc all next to each other.... even for Freeview there was a marked difference. You have to see the difference to realise. It is not all down to the panel but that is a big part.
The shop staff (after a few visits) admitted their preference. One Samsung higher end set had poor max volume - not poor quality but quiet.
As part of my visits I realised a lot of other interested in the good deal I was looking at... and I helped sell more than 6 TVs for JL. Simply by talking to fellow buyers and seeing if my view/opinion was right... And we agreed which sets were better.
I also came across people choosing TVs based on what the idea of the TV itself without considering the picture shown for standard definition was real poor!
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Are all JL TV's available online? Reason I am asking is the model I am looking for is not shown on their website - do they have different ones instore?
Their cheapest Panasonic Plasma on their website is £792 !
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The stock in store can differ. And the prices definately do.
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We bought an 32 inch LG plasma last week for a shade under £400. First one we've had that doesn't make a standard definition source look pants. Highly recommended.
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>>First one we've had that doesn't make a standard definition source look pants
Can you tell a little more about that David. We have a 26" Panasonic LCD and 20" Sony Bravia LCD plus a first generation 14" Sharp LCD with 4:3 screen. All have good pictures from Freeview sources but they are very modest screen sizes relative to viewing distance. Last year we had a 32" Samsung LCD for 24hrs and returned it as the image was so blury and garish on standard sources... it had looked OK on HD in the shop though!
We are pondering a shuffle round and another try of a 32" in the living room so wondered if a plasma or latest generation premium LCD were better (ie the 32" models that cost £700 rather than £350).
David
Edited by M.M on 29/12/2008 at 13:04
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Just an update. Richer Sounds don't have any in stock and not sure when they will be back in and at what price.
Currys have them in stock but only one year guarantee.
John Lewis had it for £599 but none in stock and showing discontinued in their computer!
So if I want this particular model its off to Currys and a one year warranty. Is this advisable ie. is it silly to get a plasma with only one year warranty or is it a case, as with a lot of items, that if they are faulty it will show up in first year anyway?
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>why not
They run hot, they are heavier, they can get screen burn (likely if the kids use computer games on them) they are less reliable, and the quality (compared to a good modern lcd) is no better, and they are less reliable.
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MM, I found Samsungs in John Lewis to have far worse picture quality than other sets, particularly the Panasonic. Indeed the Panasonic was better than all the others in my opinion. Be aware that Sony now uses Samsung LCD panels and no longer produces LCD panels themselves.
I am pleased with our Panasonic LCD (32") and although most channels are standard definition, the Virgin Media V+ box is doing the upscaling to 720P so may be making a difference.
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