Best 50" Plasma for ~£700?

deskpro3

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Hi there,

Looking to get a 50" Plasma tomorrow. I don't believe I need 1080P given main use with be DVD / standard res and only a few blu-rays.

There are quite a few 50" Plasmas at Richer Sounds for £699 namely:

LG PQ3000
Panasonic TXP50C10
Samsung PS50A476
Samsung PS50B451

I saw the LG in a store today and really liked it. Would any of the others be better?

The alternative is saving £100 to get the LGPG3000. Do I loose much by doing that?

Or alternatively an extra £40 for the Panasonic TXP50X10 or £100 for LG 50PQ6000

That's about the extent of range I am looking at. Any thoughts?
 
Hi, the sets you have mentioned are the best you will find for your budget, you should be pretty happy with them all, I'll just help you along a little with my thoughts. I haven't seen the Samsung so I can't really say much about it, although I have seen some reports of terrible image retention (worse than the LGs) on the new models, whether this is a problem with individual sets or the entire range I'm unsure though. Owners have commented on a decent picture though. But my general advice would be to look at the B450, it's the 2009 model (although this is the model I've seen image retention problems with, but last years models weren't great for image retention either).

So, comparing the C10 and PQ3000 there isn't much between them, but I think the PQ3000 is a bit better. Basically the C10 is a mix of Panasonics 2008 and 2009 plasmas, the PX80 (2008) and the X10 (2009), there wasn't much of a jump in technology between the two so you do get a very good TV, but I think the LG, which uses all the 2009 LG technology, is the better choice unless you're going to be spending a lot of time gaming, watching news channels (or any other channels with bright static images) or using it as a PC monitor. If you're going to be doing any of those things then you should discount the LGs as they are more prone to image retention, a little bit of those uses is fine, but if you do it for more than a few hours at a time regularly then you should steer clear.

So, one of the big advantages of the LG is the fact that it has expert picture controls, you can get the exact picture you want as it offers full calibration controls including white balance and all the colour controls, the Panasonic offers you contrast, brightness, colour and sharpness, so you don't get quite as much 'fiddle-ability'. Overall I think the LG handles motion and low quality SD channels a bit better too. It's a very similar case between the X10 and PQ6000 but it's a little closer, I still prefer the LG slightly, but again, the Panasonic is more resistant to image retention.

The difference between the PQ3000 and PQ6000 is mainly in the sound, the 6000 has fairly significantly better sound, and is worth the extra bit in my opinion, unless you're going to be connecting it to an external system (in which case make sure you can connect via optical). There are also a few features snipped off the USB inputs and the design isn't frameless like on the PQ6000 (there isn't a sheet of glass covering the screen). The difference between the X10 and C10 is more significant but there's still very little in it, overall I would say that the X10 is probably worth the extra £40.

So, to sum up. The PQ6000 gets my vote, closely followed by the X10 (very closely) but if you're connecting to an external system then get the PQ3000, unless you're going to be using the USB features or like the design of the 6000.

hope that helped
 
I'd go with that, i have no complaints with my 50PQ3000, i dont use the sound, but i did test it and it seems fine. As long as your about 8 to 10 feet from it you wont see the pixels, it will be a smooth picture. Its got a lovely screen, good colours and easy to calibrate. The only colour i couldnt get dead on with a DVE blu-ray was green, but its only very slightly off. Its far better than much more pricey TVs that ive tried the DVE calibration with.

LGs are supposed to be bad for image retention, but ive not seen anything much, even after watching a long anamorphic movie i dont see any temporary burn.

Sure the PQ6000 looks slightly better, but its not like the PQ3000 is ugly! I dont think its worth an extra £100 for the sound and the DIXV playback (which the 3000 can be hacked to do very easily).
 
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Well pioneer are the best, but not for £700! The LGs are very good. I chose mine over a panny because of the extra controls. The Samsungs didnt impress me at all.
 
Thanks everyone for your help here, I really do appreciate it.

I think I am likely to get the 50PQ3000 after what everyone has said, JohnLewis have it at the same price so comes with the 5 year guarantee which is nice, and they don't seem to have the 50PQ6000; so really the difference becomes £100 + £70 (warranty extension @ RS) - so I think not worth the difference.

Really appreciate all the help. Can't wait to get this now :)
 
I think I am likely to get the 50PQ3000 after what everyone has said, JohnLewis have it at the same price so comes with the 5 year guarantee which is nice,
Really appreciate all the help. Can't wait to get this now :)
That sounds like good value for money. Really the same PQ as the 6000. :smashin:
 
That sounds like good value for money. Really the same PQ as the 6000. :smashin:

it is the same, it's only the sound, design and extra USB things which are improved in the 6000, the PQ3000 is an absolute bargain in terms of the picture quality! :thumbsup:
 
That sounds like good value for money. Really the same PQ as the 6000. :smashin:

I thought so, and picked it up today! Waiting for old tv to leave (moving out flat mate taking it tomorrow) - very excited :)
 
If I was buying a high end expensive plasma, I would have bought a panasonic. But at this price range, the LG seemed a better option.

Probably is old chap, probably is. I was objecting purely to the "smart money" comment going on someone other than Pana or Pio, which is of course flippant :p
 
Ok it seems harsh, but you didn't explain why. I have no issues with my LG, so why should i have chosen a panny instead? Especially a new one without decent picture controls.
 
unless it's someone whos been out of the TV game for a few years...in which case it's just an assumption that the technology world is the same as it was then...which it isn't
 
When you're talking about high end models yes...but this isn't high end. LGs top model, the PS8000 holds plenty of advantages to the G10, overall they're very close to each other in terms of quality, but Panasonic have higher ranges like the V10 etc...We're not even talking about sets that high up the range, this is Panasonics entry set (excluding the C10) agains LGs low-mid range set. Again, a very closed opinion of no help at all
 
I saw a P42C10 in a shop and the reflections from that screen is crazy. Looking through data sheets it's because it has no anti-reflex treatment whatsoever. It's a shame really since it otherwise has equal PQ compared to the pricier P42X10.
 
If I was buying a high end expensive plasma, I would have bought a panasonic. But at this price range, the LG seemed a better option.
No, the Pana 50X10 is a really good tv for around £750. I have the 42 version and am very pleased with it. I'm glad i didn't go for a more inferior Samsung or LG:thumbsdow who make good sets, but not as this price they are quite bad:thumbsdow:(:lesson:.

For the money, the TX-P50X10B is the best of both worlds (budget & quality):lesson:

Edit. The X10 has a very good anti reflective filter while the Inferior C10 doesn't. It really makes a difference and is kind of the LCD level of reflectivity while the C10 (or other plasmas) would be as bad as a CRT:rotfl:
 
Ive had a play with an X10 tonight, i couldnt get a good calibration from it, too limited in its adjustments. My LG is much closer and its a physically more attractive set.
 

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