42PWD8 or 42HD8???

D

dando

Guest
Hi, could anyone shed some light on these two plasmas? What are the differences between them? What I'm after is a plasma with excellent PQ to watch DVDs and an NTL box, thats it. I'm really only after a Panny model and I wont look at another brand. Please could someone advise me on what Panny plasma screen would suit my needs best. :)
 
Hi Dando,

Well if you do a search for them in this forum, you may just find a few results ;)

I'll summerise some of the questions you should be asking yourself to help make up your mind :) Do you require a full High Definition Ready screen? Will you be sending a high definition picture to your plasma in the next 2-3 years? Do you want to get the best possible, most life like picture from this high definition picture on your plasma? Have you got just over £2100 to spend? If the answers are yes, go for the PHD8, if Panny is your choice. If the answers are no, PWD8 is a hell of a 2nd choice at around £1225-1300, but not fully HD Ready, but it will show just about any high definition picture you shove at it, but just scaled down.

Also, what are your sound options you have available? Have you got an AV amp to sort out the surround sound?

Then it's all about how you are going to connect up the DVD, NTL and plasma, plus leaving a bit of scope for other options, PC, console maybe :devil: This won't affect neccessarily which plasma you go for, but will affect overall costs.

I went for the PWD8 myself as I could not see enough HD content being available to myself over the next couple of years justifying the price increase.

Cheers

Andy
 
Hi,

Thanks dude thats a great help. I think the PWH8 is better suited for my needs I think. I dont need the HD stuff as I am happy with connecting my DVD using component and the NTL will have a top end scart cable. I will probably never buy a games console ( got a psp though! :) My main objectives are watching films on DVD and TV. But I have seen a few threads stating that to buy a plasma with only 480 lines is daft, why so?
Do you think the PWD8 would suit my needs perfectly?
 
Sorry forgot to say I have a Denon 1906 AV amp and Elac Cinema Mk1 6.1 surround set-up. Cheers.
 
Good, at least the sound is sorted, so we'll get back to the plasma for now.

If you are going to stick with standard DVD's, and not upgrade to HD-DVD or BlueRay HD DVD's, and NTL, PWD8 is the way to go. I won't be upgrading DVD's to HD and I also have NTL.

The opinions on the screen having "just" 480 lines on the PWD8 is one which divides many here. Keeping it simple, ignoring NTSC DVD's, and assuming your DVD does not upscale automatically to 720 or 1080.

My opinion is the picture from your DVD is a standard Pal of 576 lines. So your DVD will pass a 576 signal and the PWD8 will down scale to it's 480 lines. For NTL it will downscale the same 576 down to 480. The other way the PHD8 upscales the 576 to it's 768 lines in both cases.

So either way, if you are sticking with a standard definition picture of 576 lines, getting either plasma will mean scaling of some kind, either up or down. But the cheaper option is the PWD8. And if you got the PHD8 you would not be using it's full potential of being able to show a full high-def picture in stunning quality.

Don't get me wrong, if you have the cash, go for the PHD8. Future proof, and some say it shows a standard picture upscaled "slightly" better than the downscaled PWD8, but that is arguable :devil:

But as I said before, I don't see a large enough quantity of HD coming my way soon, so I chose the cheaper option :smashin:

Cheers

Andy
 
So, if I do get a PWD8 and play normal DVDs will the picture be excellent? But, if I go for the HD8, will it be even better? See, thats my main reason for buying a plasma is the quality from DVDs and NTL. If you are saying that overall the PQ from the HD8 is better than I would want to go for that one. But is the price increase justified for PQ alone.
 
The panny PW8 is one of the top 5 42" plasmas available at the moment, I would actually put it at number 2 personally, the HD8 is arguably the best 42" plasma available. They will both give stunning results. Buy the HD8 if another £800 is not a problem or if you are the sort of person to sit there when watching the PW8 and think "What if.......?"
 
But could you for example get a 42HD8 without a scaler and get a better pic than eg a pv 500 or does the panel need a scaler. I can persuade the wife for the screen but as for anything else i wouldn't have thought so
 
Not having seen both the PWD8 and PHD8 side by side, I can't comment accurately. I can only, as you have done :) go by the other opinions on here.

For a "slight" increase in picture performance, which only some people say the PHD8 has, an increase from 1200ish to 2100ish is not worth the money if HD is not in your future.

Obviously the best way is to get a demo yourself if possible. See it for your own eyes and decide if you notice the difference, trying to ignore the placebo effect of the price difference, that I have mentioned about 10 times already! :rolleyes: :rotfl:

And for the record, the PWD8 picture is excellent, you won't get anyone who has one saying otherwise :smashin: Or you could do what I did and get a deidicate projector for DVD's also, that will make them look really good :devil:

Cheers,

Andy
 
I should be okay, as long as the PWD PQ is great when watching DVDs and NTL using good quality component and scart leads. So if I got the PWD i'd only need say one component input thingy and a scart one? right? To put the PQ thing into context, I've been watching DVDs on a friends TH37PV500 hooked up with a good quality component cable, and I personally think its fantastic PQ!
 
johnhy said:
But could you for example get a 42HD8 without a scaler and get a better pic than eg a pv 500 or does the panel need a scaler. I can persuade the wife for the screen but as for anything else i wouldn't have thought so

you don't 'need' a scaler at all....though i will probably get one at some stage.....however the picture on the hd8 is great without it.........but i wouldn't say its vastly better than my pw7 with standard def sources which is also great.
 
There are a few options for input boards

1. Get component and scart input board
2. Scart input board for NTL and component to VGA cable for DVD and go straight into VGA port
3. NTL to JS tech RGB to Component converter. Component DVD and now NTL into amp. Component from Amp into VGA port.

Personally I would go for route 3. This means only one cable to plasma.
 
I just went through the same decision (see thread 'I've only gone and ordered something - finally) and went for the PWD8. The PHD8 would have been nice but for £900 difference, I couldn't see the benefit in going for it now when the PWD8 is a damn fine screen on all accounts for my current needs. By the time that I do have a serious requirement for something HD-ready then I can re-invest the £900 that I have saved which will probably buy me something even better in however many years.

Oh, and I have pretty much opted for option 3 from the previous post - Sky into JS into Denon 1706. DVD in Denon also. Denon into screen's VGA port. Seems a neat setup.
 
Okay, thanks for the advice fellas. So my hunch is that if I've got the cash, go for the HD8, otherwise the PWD8 is a great second option. So what is the exact name of this convertor thingy that I need to go for option 3? And how much will this be roughly? Does anyone know if the picture from the PWD8 is better than the PV500s? Sorry but one more thing about HD. If i now play a normal DVD into a HD player via a HD plasma, will I be getting HD DVD? Or will DVDs of the future have to be special HD DVDs? :confused:
 
With the kit you have got already I would do the following....

Buy a JS Scart->Component Transcoder for your NTL box.

Also go component from you dvd as well.

Then put the NTL into your amp along with your DVD and run one cable back to the screen, then when you change the source on your amp it will switch inputs for you, you can hide the plasma remote in the drawer once you have set the screen up.

I would buy a an RGB cable back to the screen, 5 bnc or RCA to a VGA plug, you will only use the Red, Green and Blue cables but you have Horizontal and Vertical Sync there in case you need it at a later date, and it won't be any more money.
 
Thanks. Seems like great advice. So what input do I need to get with the PWD8 for all this to work? Has anyone got any comparisons between the PV500 & PWD8 PQ issue? Is the PQ very similar between these two?
 
NewToyForXmas said:
... The PHD8 would have been nice but for £900 difference, I couldn't see the benefit in going for it ... By the time that I do have a serious requirement for something HD-ready then I can re-invest the £900 that I have saved which will probably buy me something even better in however many years ...

Very sensible! The 42PWD8 is the best choice and value at the moment.

That outrageous £900 difference will shrink soon - already in Germany the difference is down to £700!

Anyone going for the 42PHD8 now at £2150 will realise they could have saved around £200 very soon and probably more had they waited until Christmas/New Year.

Anyone paying £3500+ for the 50PHD8 definately has more money than sense - these are going for around £2700 in Gernany - which incidentally is the current dumping price of the old 50PHD7 here in the UK!

Gussie :)
 
Dando if you follow my advise on the option 3 you will need no input boards. You will just need the JS converter on the link gizlaroc supplied and a RCA to VGA cable.

As for the comparison the fairer comparison is the PV500 to PHD8 as these are both the HD screens. The PHD8 would give you better PQ and it looks a lot nicer as well!!!

Gussie you could continually be waiting for a price drop. Get it now and enjoy it. My PW6 cost slightly less than the PHD8, but am I bothered?? No because I have been enjoying it for nearly 2 years. With price drops and new technology there is always something on the horizon!!
 
Gussie said:
Very sensible! The 42PWD8 is the best choice and value at the moment.

That outrageous £900 difference will shrink soon - already in Germany the difference is down to £700!

Anyone going for the 42PHD8 now at £2150 will realise they could have saved around £200 very soon and probably more had they waited until Christmas/New Year.

Anyone paying £3500+ for the 50PHD8 definately has more money than sense - these are going for around £2700 in Gernany - which incidentally is the current dumping price of the old 50PHD7 here in the UK!

Gussie :)


Gussie,

stop this crusade on pricing mate, if you had a bit more about you you would be paying a smidge over German price for the 50PHD8 mate with local support and next day delivery, as it stands I would think the last person that all the dealers are going to want to do a deal for is YOU!

Stop and think for a minute!?



Dando,

You don't need to buy anything else input wise, just the JS converter and a cable so you can plug it in the VGA port mate.
 
gizlaroc said:
.. stop this crusade on pricing mate ... as it stands I would think the last person that all the dealers are going to want to do a deal for is YOU! ...

It seems the only people I have offended so far have been a couple of dealers - so be it!

I'm only telling the truth however unpalatable to some - if not and I have broken any forum rules - let me know.

Remember customers are still free to buy from wherever they choose - unless you wish it otherwise!

Finally, just where in the UK is the 50PHD8 available for "a smidge over German price" ?????

Gussie :)
 
Do your homework be a bit more plesant and you may get a deal. I am not prepared to disclose what I paid for my screen, but I will say unless delivery is included in your German price I bet I paid the same.
 
Also I don't think you have offended anyone, but you just seem to bang on about these prices etc. etc. when you don't seem to have any ideas that that different markets operate differently, with different overheads and costings to take into account.
And when you come out with this wonderful German price it isn't actually hardly any cheaper than people are paying anyway.
 

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