Full HD 32 or 37", LCD Vs plasma, Panasonic 32lzd80/85, Sony w4000, Samsung LE32a558

[davross81]

Hello, new to the forum, great resource, been finding lodas of links when searching for a tv so thought i'd use it directly!

I'm in the market for a new tv, got a PS3 for christmas so thought i should get a 1080p set to get the full potential out of my new toy.

I've got probably about £600 to spend.
I did want a 32" due to smaller than average lounge currently, but lots of what ive been reading has said that full Hd is probably wasted at this screen size, any opinions on this?? Should i get 37" to see the full effects??
Is the 100Hz feature also likely to be wasted at the smaller size. Keen sports fan so watch plenty of that.

Sets ive been looking at as in the title, they're all lcds that seem to perform consistently well in trade/user reviews. I have looked at others, anyone got any of the above, or 37" versions, or suggest alternative models they own?

Be using the tv for blu-ray, dvd, games and analogue tv til next summer when we can actually receive digital tv!!

[Monarch]

you will get a LOT of pro LCD comments on here so im going to try balancing it out slightly. I havent actually got either yet but I've read a lot recently when doing research and it depends on the amount of time you will spend doing different things and, to be honest, you wont know any different unless you buy both, you'll be happy as long as its a decent set.

Now to the facts - Plasma's are generally considered better for SD viewing as well as movies and things because of their better colour reproduction and deeper blacks so if theres a lot of movie/SD content going to be played then maybe plasma would be the way to go. If you do a lot of gaming then LCD may be better but that said, Plasma's have pros which LCDs dont when it comes to gaming. However, LCDs are supposed to have slightly sharper images and there is no risk or burn in (although thats very rare now) or Image retention. However, you may get motion blur with an LCD which you probably wont with plasma. LCDs can sometimes handle slower movement better though so it depends on the kinds of games.

The IR problem on Plasmas is still there but as long as you treat the set right you should be ok with that, unless you have 10 hour gaming sessions on games with bright bars which are static (like the boost bar on motorstorm). Of course, with plasma you are restricted to 37" or larger with the Pannys and Pios, although I would be cautious when getting the Panny PX70/80 series as some say they suffer bad phosphorus blur (another plasma problem). Or you can go for the LG 32PG6000 which is supposed to be very good and you can get it for only £400, thats 32". Otherwise you are safe with Panny LCDs like the TX-32LZD80/85 (which is 1080p(although thats not required at 32") and the 85 means it has 100Hz whereas the 80 doesnt (100Hz is good for gaming)), some people mention motion blur with the Sony models but im pretty sure the 40V4000 is pretty darn good but dont over do it with that size if 40" is too big. You could also try the LG 32LG7000 or the 32LG5700, although i would go for the Pannys over them.

Summing things up for plasma look at Panny TH-32PX70/80 (watch in a shop first), most Pios (although they are expensive) or the LG 32PG6000 (dont be put off by this rather anti LG forum, look at the PG6000 thread for reference to people responses)
and for LCD look at the Panny's (32LZD80/85 for 1080p, 32LXD80/85 if not), Sony's like the V4000 or the V4500, or even the W4000 which is a top LCD, or look at the LGs but you can get better for your budget

[Fatwaz]

if you sit within 3 feet of a 32 inch set then you will notice a difference with 1080p and 720p.any further back and you won't.its not the screen size that limits it really its a combination of that and viewing distance.for 37 inch sets you would need to sit within 5 feet to notice any difference.

personally if i sat within 5 feet of my 37px80 i'd get a headache after 5 mins lol.

[Monarch]

in my opinion get 1080p if you can afford it but dont stretch your budget or get a worse set just to get it

[davross81]

Thanks guys

3 feet away?! Sounds pretty close to me. Maybe i'll just tell the missus its 32" and hope she doesnt get the tape measure out!
I suppose i'll end up watching a fare bit of SD stuff on old dvds etc and dont have an HD subsrciption at the moment, BUT i also want to try to future proof the set as much as i can without going nuts, thats why i started looking at the Panasonic Lzd85 (100Hz).
I think you're probably right in that whatever set i go for i'll probably be happy with it, but its kind of a lot of money, guess thats why these sort of sites exist.

[boxrick]

Originally Posted by Monarch08

in my opinion get 1080p if you can afford it but dont stretch your budget or get a worse set just to get it

1080p is totally pointless up to 42" in size unless its specifically a PC monitor or you literally have your nose on the screen. You pay more for it, it uses more electric and makes SD images noticably worse due to requiring twice the amount of scaling.

If you plan to use ALOT of 1080p content then its a worthwhile look at 46" in size.... if not planning on mainly 1080p or under 42" in size 1080p (FULL HD) is a total waste of time and is a *bad* thing to have because of the reasons i mention above.

Spend the money on a better spec none 1080p model

I made a reply a lil bit back which goes into it a little bit more... Panasonic TX 32LZD80 or TX 32LZD85???

Basically though PS3 games arn't actually 1080p, and most other content is not 1080p and will not be for the forseeable future, and even when it does on such a screen size, it won't make any difference anyway.

[Monarch]

Originally Posted by davross81

Thanks guys

3 feet away?! Sounds pretty close to me. Maybe i'll just tell the missus its 32" and hope she doesnt get the tape measure out!
I suppose i'll end up watching a fare bit of SD stuff on old dvds etc and dont have an HD subsrciption at the moment, BUT i also want to try to future proof the set as much as i can without going nuts, thats why i started looking at the Panasonic Lzd85 (100Hz).
I think you're probably right in that whatever set i go for i'll probably be happy with it, but its kind of a lot of money, guess thats why these sort of sites exist.

i wouldnt worry about future proofing too much, HD TV is broadcasted in 1080i, which most (if not all) 720p sets support so if you get a 720p set then youre sorted for HD broadcasts. If you are watching primarily SD content on it then 720p is probably way to go, that said, you wont notice much difference. And, ive read, that the Panny 32LZD85 doesnt actually handle motion well and isnt as good a set as it looks, you may want to look that up more.

If youre going to be using it for SD TV then you may want to look towards Plasma screens as well, IR and Image burn are pretty much a thing of the past with decent sets, the Panny 37PX80 (£500 from comet, getting mine today!) although with slight phosphorus trails doesnt suffer IR at all and a plasma will handle motion better, have deeper blacks and more realistic colours. Or even the LG 32PG6000, the smallest plasma around, some say it suffers from IR (although only mildly) but it is supposed to have less phosphorus trails that the panny, you can get that for around £400

[paulrw]

[quote=boxrick;8581323]Basically though PS3 games arn't actually 1080p

every ps3 game i picked up in zavvi last weekend had 1080p written on the back?

how about the Panasonic TX-37LZD81? 1080p with HD freesat built-in. Run another sat cable in, then sky SD and free HD bbc1 & ITV. Later on kill sky subscription

[Monarch]

[quote=paulrw;8582426]

Originally Posted by boxrick

Basically though PS3 games arn't actually 1080p

every ps3 game i picked up in zavvi last weekend had 1080p written on the back?

how about the panny TX-37LZD81? 1080p with HD freesat built-in. Run another sat cable in, then sky SD and free HD bbc1 & ITV. Later on kill sky subscription

few PS3 games are actually rendered in 1080p, they are in 720p or even less! More games will come out in future though so it depends, theres no desperate need for 1080p though, look for 24p if youre going to play blu ray though, thats a must

[davross81]

Getting the distinct feeling this isnt particularly new ground!! Thanks for all the comments, very helpful.

I've had a look at the lzd81 but im renting at the mo so dont want to bother with a dish, but maybe in the future.

I'm decided that 24p is a must also. I think i've got the money for 1080p so i'm happy to stretch to it =/-100hz. Think i'll go for 37" though

Still not decided plasma Vs LCD, guess i was put off from memories of when it was pretty new technology and all the talk of IR and assoc probs.

Anyways, off to go look at a few more sets.

[Monarch]

if you get a Panasonic then you wont get the IR, but you might get some phosphorus trailing where you get a green tail following stuff which is dark over a light background, this is less of a problem now though. If you want to really push the boat out you can get a Pioneer but that will cost you a fortune, i would worry too much about 1080p, if you get a plasma that will add a lot to the cost, not so much with LCD though, I would recommend Panasonic LCDs (as well as plasmas) as they are pretty top, but look at the likes of the Sony 40W4000 (if you can afford it) or even the 32W4000

[Sean_Hale]

Originally Posted by Monarch08

And, ive read, that the Panny 32LZD85 doesnt actually handle motion well and isnt as good a set as it looks, you may want to look that up more.

Don't belive all you read. I have had mine for a couple of months now and the picture is very very good . Motion handling on both films and SD broadcast is IMHO as good as is possible to get on a LCD panel.

Sean

[Monarch]

Originally Posted by Sean_Hale

Don't belive all you read. I have had mine for a couple of months now and the picture is very very good . Motion handling on both films and SD broadcast is IMHO as good as is possible to get on a LCD panel.

Sean

Ive been a bit suspicious on comments saying that motion handling is dodgy (i think its from Plasma experts who are used to perfect fast motion (it is an advantage of plasma)) i suppose that everyone who likes it is far too busy using their TV to comment on it. Anyway, Panasonic are a pretty solid brand, you'll be happy with a Panny, but the same goes for Sony, Samsung and LG as well as others. I do admit that LG and Samsung, although making some top sets, have made some appauling ones

[davross81]

Nipped to curry and comet in lunch break, wouldnt recommed it, seemed to be staffed by the W.I. (no offence to the tech initiated female readers!) had to explain to the sales staff about 100Hz and 24p, not a good sign!!

I've had a look at the Sony, does look very nice...the blue speckled finish is pretty gimmicky, but i could let that go i guess. I do like the crossbar media interface on the Ps3, seems pretty user friendly.... want to say i'm none the wiser but i think therein lies the problem!

Dark shapes across light backgrounds causing phosphor trails sounds like a recipe for diaster when watching footy. Got some nice phosphour burn on my CRT at the mo, lovely shades of green

[Monarch]

Originally Posted by davross81

Dark shapes across light backgrounds causing phosphor trails sounds like a recipe for diaster when watching footy. Got some nice phosphour burn on my CRT at the mo, lovely shades of green

The phosphor burn isnt really a problem any more, some sets seem to suffer from it more than others, Panasonic's, of all the brands who could suffer, seem to suffer worst (among the best brands) but some people dont notice it. It shouldnt be too bad on footie either though, the contrast isnt great enough, its in games like gears of war where there is a fast moving black object (gun) in front of a bright background (walls). You need to look at the TV displaying a variety of different content to really judge how good it is, especially for plasma