Choosing the right plasma TV dilemma....

[BoomBoomBarney]

I've been reading the posts on this forum which have been very helpful thus far,however,i'm still at odds on a couple of things,that may eventually come down to personal preference no doubt ?..... All responses will be gratefully accepted....

I currently own a Panasonic 32" CRT which due to 'at home logistics' is connected to a sky+ box via a splitter and 'magic eye' for channel changing.Via scart and aux i've also got an analogue video (pan),non HD dvd (pio)and stereo amp (Denon) feeding into the TV.

I'm very keen to get a new 42" plasma but i'm unsure whether I would fully benefit from upgrading to something like the Pioneer PDP 427XD (which I really like !) at around the £1400 mark or whether I go for one of the Samsung or LG's that appear to have fallen in price from their initial tags of £1500 to around the mid £800's ?

I should point out that my kids are a bit young for the xbox/ps scenario,but I dare say in a couple of years there'll be after the equivalent.I'm also limited on my knowledge of HD subscription and when it will be 'the norm'

So,do I buy mid-range that fits with my current plug-ins or do I dig deeper in the pockets now for something more advanced that suffices the current but comes into it's own as I move with the times ?

Costs aside,Will there be a vast difference in PQ taking into account my current set-up ?

Thanks,in advance.

 

[pjskel]

For the same price as the Pioneer, you can have the new 50" Panasonic PX70.
If you're limited by the distance you can sit from the TV (9ft HD, 13ft SD recommended min) then the 42" can be had for under £1K.
Reckoned to be nigh on parity with the Pioneer, if not better in some areas, but just not quite as good on the Freeview front.

HD viewing will not be the norm for quite a while yet, so don't worry about that although now's as good a time as any to change up (or over to Virgin with their triple tuner V+ box) - although no Sky One or Two still.

The VCR output will be poor due to its resolution, but the kids probably won't object since the picture will be massive.
DVD will be very good - especially if it has Component output and Progressive Scan.
Sky+ will be fine as well over SCART with RGB enabled in the settings, if not already.

 

[MartinCollinson]

Well at the moment you don't seem to have any HD sources to feed into an HD panel. Are you considering upgrading to either Sky HD or a cable alternative? Or maybe jumping on either the blu-ray or HDDVD bandwagon? It costs an extra £10 a month for the Sky HD subscription and circa £200-300 for the HD box depending what deal you can get on it. A bit expensive for what you get at the moment - circa 8-10 HD channels but if you like sports you get some great HD action from SKy and the BBC plus a couple of HD film channels from Sky. I am expecting/hoping the HD channel line up will grow over time but have no 'inside' knowledge.

If you are not looking to feed any HD you might be as well looking at some of the SD panels that are around. I'm far from being an expert in this area but there are some excellent SD panels which will give you great SD PQ from your existing set up and from reports I have read (but not seen with my own eyes) they will also handle HD should you get it to the point were it is hard to tell from anything but the best HD panels. Take a look at the PWD6 series Panasonic commercial panels (if you can find one).

From the research I did when making my choice about 6 months ago I would not look past Pioneer, Panasonic or Fujitsu. I would personally not go for a cheaper alternative unless budget is an issue.

If you are looking to take an HD panel to future proof yourself and you are not pushed to make a choice now it might be as well to wait 3 or 4 months and take a look at the new 8th gen Pioneer panels which are due out. They are supposed to be a step forward but lets wait and see when they arrive. You will also probably see some of the current Pioneer panel prices drop when they do come out.

 

[BoomBoomBarney]

Thanks Guys....To further highlight my lack of AV knowledge,what is an SD Panel ?

I'm not planning on going on to SkyHD for the foreseeable as I couldn't warrant the upgrade and monthly subs at the mo'.

The 42" Panasonic mentioned, seems reasonable at £899 (unless you know where it's cheaper !),would this work with my current configuration ?

I'm keen to know more about SD though ?

 

[pjskel]

SD - standard def. Typically 842x480 or something like that - for the panel. Broadcast PAL and PAL DVD are 720x540i. The rest of the 576 resolution is for teletext and other technical stuff not needed to concern yourself about.
HD ones are 1024x720 (37"), 1024x768 (42/43"), and 1366x768 (50"+). Some Full HD panels now exist - 1920x1080.

Yes, the PX70 will work with your current gear, and provide you with HD delights when you go there.

 

[BoomBoomBarney]

For the same price as the Pioneer, you can have the new 50" Panasonic PX70.
If you're limited by the distance you can sit from the TV (9ft HD, 13ft SD recommended min) then the 42" can be had for under £1K.
Reckoned to be nigh on parity with the Pioneer, if not better in some areas, but just not quite as good on the Freeview front.

Uh-oh.... Had just primed JL for the 42",now you got me thinking.....


Let's get that tape measure out again

 

[BoomBoomBarney]

Have now taken the plunge and pick up the 42"px70 friday on a JL PM

Are their any specific scart or cabling upgrades that I should consider to give the optimum performance with current config ?

 

[pjskel]

Any decent shielded cable will be a welcome improvement.
Not sure it warrants £180 worth of Nordost 1m SCART or £300 1.5m Component though.
Local Maplin might be worth a look for THOR.
Alternatively, IXOS and QED SCARTs get thumbs up from those who've bought them.
Might also check Mark Grant's offerings - you'll see his advert at the bottom of thread sometimes. Click and see what he has.