# Plasma screens - opinions



## Jac-in-a-Box (Nov 9, 2002)

Been chewing over a new TV for a while and with prices at a more sensible level than a few years ago I'm on the hunt.

Taken by the latest Pioneer models both for their picture quality and aesthetic looks. The PDP 427XD is at the top of the list.

Samsungs models look good too for a few bob less.
On both ranges I like the gloss black piano finish.

To confuse the issue though, I've seen a well setup Sony Bravia LCD which had a nice picture with a clear glass frame.

So, give your thoughts Pioneer or Samsung? And what's the general concensus on plasma v LCD (I don't want anything bigger than 42")

Thanks 

Dave


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## scavenger (Jun 25, 2002)

Preferably you need to see the sets side-by-side, correctly set-up and showing the same movie/trailer/program from the same source.

My preference is Plasma over LCD.

Best of luck, it's a very long and confusing process buying a TV these days.

Edit - Pioneer would be my choice, even though I bought an LG. I didn't think the 50" Pioneer picture quality was worth the large amount of Â£'s more than the quality offered by the 50" LG'.


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## YELLOW_TT (Feb 25, 2004)

As you know I as thinking about this a few months ago and for me it has to be the Pioneer But the Sony 42in ( cant remember the model number )LCD did get a great review and has won awards


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## alexasTT (Jan 19, 2005)

Pioneer all the way

or possibly another option

http://www.digitaldirectuk.com/products ... f=12&ffi=2

Friend just bought this great picture


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## head_ed (Dec 10, 2002)

Dave,

I was in Currys the other day looking at Plasmas too.

It was hardly a scientific test as they weren't side by side comparisons running the same footage from the same source, but I was blown away with the picture quality of the LG models.

The 50" LG had much better clarity & colour saturation than pretty much _any_ of the more expensive models on display. I didn't look how many HDMI slots etc etc, but on pure 'wow' factor - I would have bought the LG.

Mart.


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## mighTy Tee (Jul 10, 2002)

We recently bought a 42 inch LCD, superb.

We bought it from Richer Sounds who offer a very good 5 year extended warranty substantially cheaper than the Currys/Comet equivalent.


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## jampott (Sep 6, 2003)

head_ed said:


> Dave,
> 
> I was in Currys the other day looking at Plasmas too.
> 
> ...


The cynical amongst us would accuse the "big" stores of rigging their cabling and source setup to give the best picture on the sets which provided the most "return"... :roll:

I wouldn't buy from anywhere based on what the TV looked like in that store, unless it was showing the same source, with the same cable, and with the picture settings on the TV set to their optiumum. TBH, I'd trust a smaller retailer (Richer Sounds etc) to setup something a bit more "honest" than I would somewhere like Currys, Comet, Dixons etc.

Just my 2c. Its far too easy to make a low margin TV look "worse" than a high margin one. Or make the TV you carry most stock of look best...


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## head_ed (Dec 10, 2002)

Exactly my point. However the LG's did look very good, no artifacting at all - very smooth picture quality.

Like you, I would rather trust an AV geek with my 000s, than a Saturday boy with no more knowledge of screens than a potato. So when I come to buy I am off to the nearest specialist :roll:


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## jampott (Sep 6, 2003)

head_ed said:


> Exactly my point. However the LG's did look very good, no artifacting at all - very smooth picture quality.
> 
> Like you, I would rather trust an AV geek with my 000s, than a Saturday boy with no more knowledge of screens than a potato. So when I come to buy I am off to the nearest specialist :roll:


Cool.

Its a good test to see what the ACTUAL picture looks like. The problem comes when you try and COMPARE...

So if the screen was good enough in Currys, no reason not to buy it. But if you try and substantiate by saying its "better" than the Sony next to it, and not as good as the Samsung on the next row, you're heading well into the unknown... 8)


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## mw22 (Aug 15, 2005)

Plasma Vs LCD

Plenty of places say to buy depending on size.
32" or under LCD
37" either
over 37" then plasma.

Mike


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## Rogue (Jun 15, 2003)

I bought a 6th gen 50" Pioneer plasma last year, and it really is a fantastic piece of kit.
The picture quality is superb, and the sound quality from it's own )detachable) speakers is also amazing.

I've got my new Sky HD box sitting on my desk here which just arrived today (Â£149 + Â£15 delivery from http://www.midsat.co.uk/ ) and can't wait to see HD images on it.

One other thing that clinched it for me with the Pioneer is the fact it has a separate Media Box, so there're only ever three cables going to the TV (power, DVI and data).
Any new equipment you buy simply plugs into the Media Box, which is very handy if you decide to wall-mount your telly.

Rogue


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## Rob_vienna (Sep 21, 2006)

I bought the Panasonic PHD8 a year and a half ago roughly from www.av-sales.com

Its a screen more than a TV which youll have to buy cards for the back but it means that you dont have many cables running to the back of the TV as you should have a nice receiver/amp processing all your inputs.

Cant recommend Av sales enough, I got the first TV, it died a week later, rang them up and they swapped it out for a brand spanking new one on deliver and collect. Great customer service.


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## sipajen (Nov 6, 2006)

**POST REMOVED**


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## CH_Peter (May 16, 2002)

Trusted Reviews have some very good reviews of selected TVs. They really do seem to know their stuff - they also use Standard and High Def content in their reviews so that you know what you're getting into.

Pioneer are making what seem to be the best TVs at the moment, but the Toshiba Regza ranges have come in for some positive reviews, too, and have options for any budget - including some good (depending on your scale of what's good, I suppose) 42" models for less than Â£1k.


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## coupe-sport (May 7, 2002)

Very pleased with my 43" Pioneer Plasma. The picture shows up how crap some of the NTL broadcasts can be but very impressed with DVD.

James


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## Jac-in-a-Box (Nov 9, 2002)

Thanks for comments.

I've seen the Sony, Pioneer and Samsung sets in other peoples homes running from a HD source and all looked great. So, no buying on iffy setups from High St stores.

Really am leaning towards the Pioneer. Just got to get John Lewis to price match my best shop price and save Â£500 and get their 5 year warranty!

Change of tack; DVD players with hard drive recording, what's good at the moment? Are HD DVD players available yet together with HD DVD's?
Nothing wrong (yet) with my Sony S525 player but would be good to be rid off the VCR and reduce the number of "boxes"

Dave


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## sipajen (Nov 6, 2006)

**POST REMOVED**


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## Rogue (Jun 15, 2003)

sipajen said:


> This was the clincher for me too. I bought a Pioneer PDP 436XDE last year - fantastic with Sky Sports HD, Sky Movies HD and my XBOX 360 :wink:


Very nice and tidy install!

Here's a pic of mine when it first went in last year.
I'm still in the process of finishing off the living room, with hardwood flooring having been installed and a boxed-in ledge running the width of the wall under the tv which houses and hides all the other equipment.
The surround speakers sit on top of this new ledge.
It's all being painted next week, so I'll post a new pic when it's all done.










Rogue


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## E (May 7, 2002)

Jac-in-a-Box said:


> Samsungs models look good too for a few bob less.
> On both ranges I like the gloss black piano finish.
> 
> Dave


I've got a Samsung 40" LCD, the looks and picture are great but the sound is not too good.


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## sipajen (Nov 6, 2006)

**POST REMOVED**


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## davidg (Sep 14, 2002)

Get the Sony , you did like it  then with the rear mood lights 8) 8) , forgot to say you can get different colours for the screen surround  

Ps hope the eye gets better :wink:


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## cuTTsy (Jan 31, 2003)

E said:


> Jac-in-a-Box said:
> 
> 
> > Samsungs models look good too for a few bob less.
> ...


Agree but if you add a good amp and speaker package 

Also they are so cheap now...

http://www.play.com/Electronics/Electro ... oduct.html


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## bilbos (Jan 16, 2004)

I picked up this one just before Christmas.










A 40" LCD. With broadcasts in HD, the picture is amazing, however, with regular programs the picture quality is not the best.


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## mac's TT (May 13, 2006)

I have the pio 427xd and would read this http://www.avforums.com/forums/showthre ... t=pdp427xd from AV forums, 80 odd pages


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## garyc (May 7, 2002)

We have a Philips 32" LCD and a Fujitstu 42" plasma. There is not much in it imho. Both highlight crap video braodcats quality, as already mentioned, and both stunning with DVD.

Don't go overboard with cabling, but don't skimp either.

LCD runs quieter and cooler. That would be my choice if buying again.

Get an A Brand too. Sony. Philips, Pioneer, Toshiba etc. (remember LG is owned by Philips and they share technology, so a smart buy)


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## Guest (May 2, 2007)

Bought a 46 in sharp aquos 1080p lcd yesterday from richer sounds. Picked up a toshiba hd-xe1 hi def dvd player while i was there.
Stunning picture quality overall, but amazing when its showing movies in 1080p either through my new dvd player or my ps3.
Hope this helps.


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## WozzaTT (Jan 15, 2006)

Moving house soon and plan to get an LCD/plasma tv for the wall.

What's the score on the brackets? I had a quick look online and they seem to be about Â£150.00. Is that right? :?

Also, I assume mounting the tv above a fireplace is a no-no?


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## Godzilla (Feb 20, 2007)

Hi Dave,

Left a message on your mobile about TV. I went through this process about 12 months ago, if you want my to ask anything youve got my number or on here and you have my email from buying Swissvax.

Hope you are up and running and all is well soon.

Cheers

Jon (Yates)


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## Jac-in-a-Box (Nov 9, 2002)

Again, thanks for pointers...going for the Pioneer plasma 

Godzilla - good to hear from you; and good advice :wink:

Wozza - yes, brackets seem costly. Take a look on ebay, I managed to find plenty for my chosen screen for a fraction of the retail costs.

Dave


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## Hilly10 (Feb 4, 2004)

If you are buying a plasma the only two to consider are Panasonic Veria or the Pioneer they are allways the top two when evaluated against others. The Panasonic ability to upscale SD is awesome dont take my word for it read reviews from specialist mags. I talk of these panels as being the best in the normal price range :wink: I have seen various LCDs and cheap end plasmas but I am thankfull to get back to my beloved Pany. LCD panels at 42" and above do not cut for me a lot of false colours, and skin tones that are just well rubbish


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## dmt-tt (Mar 4, 2007)

Jac-in-a-Box said:


> Again, thanks for pointers...going for the Pioneer plasma
> 
> Godzilla - good to hear from you; and good advice :wink:
> 
> ...


Hello dave,nice meeting you at Andy's 

Have you recovered from the first part of the tour? :lol:

I have had a pioneer 42"hd plasma for about 4 months now :wink:

After 4 months i can recomend the pioneer,for quality of picture and performance its excellent,i also got the home entertainment package and when watching hd tv films etc its awesome.

so good choice you wont be dissapointed :wink:

cheers dave ,next time you are on tour in Hartlepool, would you be up for a crack at my (Bargain TT) :lol:

cheers Tom.

P.S. check my signature pic. i actually cleaned it after seeing your work on andys swirl marks :lol: :lol: 
just wish i had a bloody decent camera.
:roll:


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## Mackem (May 22, 2002)

I work for Toshiba so I'm probably biased but the Regza 68 series takes some beating. Tosh have just released some cheaper variants, the C and X series and there's a new Z model coming out in September. That's the one I'm waiting for, check out AV Forum for more detailed info: http://www.avforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=502658


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## ronin (Sep 6, 2003)

garyc said:


> LCD runs quieter and cooler. That would be my choice if buying again.
> 
> Get an A Brand too. Sony. Philips, Pioneer, Toshiba etc. (remember LG is owned by Philips and they share technology, so a smart buy)


Maybe on older lcd's, have never heard my Pioneer make any other noise than the clinck when it turns on or off.

Dave, pioneer - you know you want to!


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## YELLOW_TT (Feb 25, 2004)

Jac-in-a-Box said:


> Again, thanks for pointers...going for the Pioneer plasma
> 
> Godzilla - good to hear from you; and good advice :wink:
> 
> ...


Dave if you are getting brushed alloy foot that the Pioneer stands on one of the places selling them near to me gets these painted gloss black and they look 200% better goes with the screen :idea:


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## ronin (Sep 6, 2003)

YELLOW_TT said:


> Jac-in-a-Box said:
> 
> 
> > Again, thanks for pointers...going for the Pioneer plasma
> ...


I went for the gloss back, its the same model code with a "b" in it if you want to hunt on google.


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## Rogue (Jun 15, 2003)

I still have the stand that came with my Pioneer un-used and boxed in the attic.
It's the silver one, IIRC.
I paid Â£250 for a wall bracket for it.

Rogue


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## TT_Broonster (Jan 28, 2007)

I've got an 40" LCD Sony Bravia.

Marry it up up to Sky HD and ye cannae whack it! :wink:

Best bet for anyone looking is to go into a big electrical store and watch the LCDs and plasmas side by side and compare the quality from there.


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## John-H (Jul 13, 2005)

My information may be a little out of date but check out the following:

Plasma TVs are (certainly were a year or two back) NTSC standard and therefore 480 lines as opposed to 625 so you loose vrtical resolution.

"HDTV ready" sets may not actually be capable of an HDTV picture and just mean they are compatable with the signal but will only display the HDTV signal at the old lower resolution.

CRT still gives the best picture quality with greater contrast and speed, although some of the new LCD sets do look good - but as someone said they are probably being piped with a better source signal.


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## clived (May 6, 2002)

John-H said:


> My information may be a little out of date but check out the following:
> 
> Plasma TVs are (certainly were a year or two back) NTSC standard and therefore 480 lines as opposed to 625 so you loose vrtical resolution.
> 
> ...


Your 2nd point is correct, "ready" doesn't mean "fully capable". However, point 1 is way out of date - your basic plamathese days is going to have 768 lines and of course the latest "full HD" screens have 1080.

CRT screens don't come in 60" widescreen, so it doesn't matter how good they look  or big and heavy they are...


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## jonah (Aug 17, 2002)

Pioneer is def the way to go but if your on a budget Â£'s per in you can't beat the Panasonic range of panels for quality at a cheaper price.
I see the Plasma myths are still lurking still after all these yrs :wink:


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## ResB (Apr 17, 2005)

C'mon Dave,

Was the demo not good enough for ya? Pio PDP-427XD or the 507XD is the way to go IMO.

Both my 507XD and the older PDP-434HDE have never put a foot wrong in over 3 years of ownership.


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## John-H (Jul 13, 2005)

clived said:


> John-H said:
> 
> 
> > My information may be a little out of date but check out the following:
> ...


I'm glad point 1 is no longer appliable as it was a rip off - thanks for updating me  .

CRTs will be superseded in quality soon I'm sure and if you want a pig picture on a flat wall there's no contest. I got the Top of the range at the time Nokia 32" widescreen with picture in picture, megatext, PAL+, Dobley surround and it goes up to 11 :wink: it's still v.good but getting outdated fast. I'm on the forum too much to watch telly and justify a new one though :roll:


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## cyberface (Apr 1, 2007)

sorry if this has already been posted but i couldnt be bothered to read 5 pages 

i looked on www.avforums.com or net im not sure they will tell you something about set your interested in.

i have a 42" LG and its fuckin great.


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## Jac-in-a-Box (Nov 9, 2002)

ResB said:


> C'mon Dave,
> 
> Was the demo not good enough for ya? Pio PDP-427XD or the 507XD is the way to go IMO.
> 
> Both my 507XD and the older PDP-434HDE have never put a foot wrong in over 3 years of ownership.


Good indeed Rich  
Had I been able to source the set locally at a reasonable, or close to online price, that would have been the one to grace my wall.

Did however compare the Pioneer with Panny's latest offering and hard to see a difference in a specialist AV retailler. Just wouldn't give me a good deal, but reckoned the Panny was equal to the Pio in PQ

Trotted off to local Panny shop and came away with the Panny (TH42PX700) a 180gb HDD DVD (DMR-EX87EB-K) 5 year warranty, decent cables/wall brackets and installation for just a few bob more than the Pio'
Not sure he's got the prices right!

To make it even better, came across a contact number for Virgin Media's retention dept. 
Had a little bleat over the cost of my TV/telephone/broadband package - amazingly helpful. Upped my broadband package, gave me all the TV channels (sports and movies) and two V+ HD boxes...and knocked Â£22.00/month off my monthly subscription 

Not too bad a day and I'm happy - great advice from all, cheers 

Dave


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## jonah (Aug 17, 2002)

God choice dave The pannys are very good screens and like i said before only the Pioneer IMO bives a better PQ, I have a panny although not HD but will accept a HD signal and TBH the PQ is alot better than most HD screens I've seen with an HD signal, so can onlyimagine what your PQ is like. Good Choice!


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## ResB (Apr 17, 2005)

Jac-in-a-Box said:


> ResB said:
> 
> 
> > C'mon Dave,
> ...


Sounds like your a winner.  Enjoy your new AV hardware fella.


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## senwar (Apr 21, 2003)

Jac-in-a-Box said:


> Trotted off to local Panny shop and came away with the Panny (TH42PX700) a 180gb HDD DVD (DMR-EX87EB-K) 5 year warranty, decent cables/wall brackets and installation for just a few bob more than the Pio'
> Not sure he's got the prices right!


Dave

Let me know what its like - I've been eyeing up the 700 model over the last weeek and am very tempted.


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## nutts (May 8, 2002)

Anyone know when the LG Chocolate Plasmas are available?


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