Scaler advice please.

[HCman]

Hi all,

I have asked this question in the plasma forum as part of several questions but didn't get much feedback so I thought I would ask here.

I am going to get the Panasonic TH-42PV500CAB and mainly watch Sky+, DVD's through a Pioneer DV-656A and foreign satellite through a Topfield 5510 PVR.

I would like to know if it is worth getting a scaler as part of the package, also is the PQ improvement highly noticeable, and which model should I go for if any?

All comments and advice will be greatly appreciated.

Many thanks in advance.

HCman

[Gordon @ Convergent AV]

HCMan: I think the issue you'll have wth getting any ansers is that it's a new panel and no-one's really going to have tried scalers with it yet. Possibly the best solutions is to get the panel, live with it for a month or so while it beds in then get a calibrtion done and ask your calibration guy to bring you a scaler to demo at the same time....if it looks better you buy it and the thing all gets set up at the same time, job done.

Gordon

[HCman]

Thanks for your reply Gordon,

My problem is I will get the Panasonic and several other bits on credit and wont be able to afford a scaler a month later, I was looking at including it in the package at the time of buying if it is wroth adding to the setup.

I can order all the bits today and get them delivered/installed Thursday if I don't go for a scaler, but if I add a scaler, I'll have to order from another place and may have to wait 2 to 3 weeks so I am getting desperate for someone to tell me if a scaler is worthy add-on.

Many thanks again.

HCman

[Gordon @ Convergent AV]

Well I've yet to come across a display that cannot be made better by the addition of high quality external video processing. However no video processors are plug and play. They need to be set up well in order for their full performance to be achieved on screen., much the same can be said for plasma's themselves. If the wrong parameters are adjusted on scaler or display you could end up with some aspects of the image being worse. So if you are doing this and only doing it once I'd be suggesting you make sure that installation by someone who actually knows what they are doing is provided in your package.

As for the scaler to choose.....it sounds like that may be dictated by your choice of supplier rather than by any qualitative process. My own preferance is, funnily enough, the ones I distribute (Lumagen). There are plenty of alternatives though.

Good luck anyway and I am sure you'll enjoy your new system when you eventually get it

Gordon