| Re: TX-P42X10 or TX-P42C10?
For anyone considering buying an X10 based on picture quality, then the C10 shoud be avoided. I have been to John Lewis today to cast my eye over the pretender to the X10's throne and I came away disappointed. My observations:
C10 does have:
S-Video input
Game mode
x.v.Colour
it also uses an identical plasma panel to the X10 and from what I can gather from Panasonic UK, it also uses the same V-Real 4 processor as the X10.
Sound quality is also identical to the X10.
However, the C10 has 2 major flaws:
1) It looks particularly cheap and nasty in terms of the screen surround (bezel) and I mean not like any panasonic I have ever seen or sold. Go see for yourself.
2) Now the biggy, picture quality. IMPORTANT the C10 has NO AR (anti-reflective) screen filter. What does this mean? Well, in a pitch black room there will be practically no ambient light hitting the screen and therefore nothing to reflect back at you and in these conditions, I would say that the picture quality is on a par with the X10. But, and it's a big but, if you have ANY light in the room, you will suffer from severe reflections from the untreated screen which, as well as being very irritating, means that the colours and especially the black levels, are in reality much worse than the X10. In average room lighting, you will be watching mainly yourself in the screen! In a brightly lit room, say during the day, this would make the tv pretty much unwatchable. This was a problem with plasmas of old, it has come back to haunt us.
So, in summary, if you're leaning towards the X10 for its picture quality, the C10 is no substitute, not even close. A great value tv with Panasonic reliability, yes. Class leader, no. I realise that the C10 is much cheaper initially than the X10, but I'd strongly advise to get a good deal on an X10 and close the price gap. To buy the C10 over the X10 is a decision that any enthusiast will regret.
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