general pwd8 wonderments e.g. daisychainable with an amp?

S

SwamiTCB

Guest
Hi, after researching this forum (MANY hours!) i have decided to choose between a Panny 37PE50 or a panny PWD8, now i know you've read that line a million times but here are my questions....i want the pwd8, but it is alot more money (the PE50 would be about £1000, the pwd8 with required boards, stand, sound will be around the £1600 mark i reckon) so i need a deal clincher:

1. can i put my sources (dvd player and sky digibox and potentially a ps2) into an amp, and then connect the amp to the PWD8 using the provided VGA without the loss of PQ?
2. does anyone know of a stand that i could use to swivel the panel round about 100 degrees?
3. Is it general consensus that a PW7 will provide better PQ with SD sources than a PE50? (PW7's are obviously more affordable)
4. Is calibration more of a necessity with a panel than with a tv?
5. PWD8/PW8, any difference?
6. Can a pc be connected to a PE50 using a VGA to component cable?

I understand that's alot to ask! I thank the likes of hornydragon who reply to newbies' posts (often answering the same questions) which help lots of us less-knowledgable people get by!
 
Yeah I've been wondering about questions 1 and 6 also.

Also:

"A HD ready flat panel is not as good at displaying SD as a non-HD ready flat panel."

Is this true?
 
SwamiTCB

1) I do just that with my setup but the real answer would depend on what your amp is and if your DVD has component out. You would also require a JS converter to convert Sky to Component.
2) Sorry can't help with a stand, mine is wall mounted.
3) Not sure about where you are getting pricing from for PWD7 but you might find that PWD8 is very similar in price. Check out AV-Sales. Also, be careful with PWD7 it does not accept component over the VGA input like the PWD8.
4) Not a necessity but an option
5) Same model PWD = Progressive Wide Display
6) Dunno - don't have one :) but I understand they are more "difficult to hook up to a PC then the panels but no impossible.

Sorry, can't answer all your questions but I'm sure one of the other helpful chaps here will.
 
Many thanks Phil, you answered the most pertinent ones!!
It is a bloody good job you told me PW7 doesn't accept component over the VGA, that would be a hidden £100!
The PW7 (i'm looking at 37") is £1000 at a few places e.g. http://www.shootandshow.co.uk/ and the pw8 is around the 1300 mark, if someone tells me PW8 is head and shoulders above the rest it'll make it harder to buy the pw7!
Do you think you have compromised PQ with your setup Phil? I don't have an amp yet!
Thanks again!!
 
No Mate - appears that the VGA is very much an approved route to the panel. A few of the "old timers" will tell you that the difference between VGA Component and having a component board is not worth the money you will spend.

By the way, why 37" why not 42? The cost reduction isn't worth the bother and if you are willing to go for a 37pe50 then the 42PWD8 is very similar in proportions but you get a bigger screen.

Nice thing about the 8 is that if you want to take advantage of HD in future (albeit scaled down) you can do so with the 8 but not with the 7. Nother reason why the 8 is better than the 7. Pic wise they are probably very much similar.
 
I was definitely wanting to have the capability to watch HD, so that is very useful info on the pw7! I don't know how i missed this info when searching, so thanks again!
I think a 42" might look too big in the room (i haven't moved yet) and i don't want to be sat with my nose pressed against a very large screen looking at faults in the image (i am assuming faults are less noticeable with a smaller screen/sat further away), you are right about the prices though, here at AV sales for example it's CHEAPER to get the 42"!
Cheers Phil, i appreciate your responses, if anyone else has anything to add i'd also be very grateful!
 
What distance will you be watching from? you'd have to be very close before you saw pixel detail on a 42". I (and many others here) would say go for 42" every time for the small extra outlay. You get used to it very quickly.
 
I'll be watching from about 9' i reckon, not far! Isn't the recommendation to sit 3 times the diagonal away from the tv?
I'm gonna go to richer sounds and hopefully try one out, if i decide there aren't many issues that will annoy me if i am too close i'll gladly go for 42"!
By the way, i read a thread by a guy who had loud buzzing with his PH8, is the PW8 noisy?
 
Good decision Swami. I think I've read here that the HD screens have fan cooling, which obviously adds to noise, but I believe the SD panels don't use any fans (I'm sure I will be corrected if that's wrong). The fans themselves don't make much noise, but obviously that means there is not so much demand on the PSU so the noise should be lower. I think it's relative though because, despite what people say, I think all panels make noise to a lesser or greater extent. There are also build differences within the same models so that one persons bad experience with a specific model doesn't mean all models will suffer the same. Best idea is to get the panel you want into your home environment and make sure you're completely happy with it before the 'no quibbles' return time is up. Another bit of advice is that, the more you look for faults, the more you will find! Unfortunately, it's not a perfect world :rolleyes:
 
saintjames said:
Yeah I've been wondering about questions 1 and 6 also.

Also:

"A HD ready flat panel is not as good at displaying SD as a non-HD ready flat panel."

Is this true?

I would say it is about the same (having one of each), not worse but not better either.
 
acrmorris said:
the more you look for faults, the more you will find! Unfortunately, it's not a perfect world :rolleyes:

Good advice mate, i'm fairly sure i'll be happy as i've been watching dvd's on my laptop for about 2 years! It'll be nice knowing i have the best available with my budget though, assuming it can stretch to the PWD8 + amps etc!
Just tried to see one at my local richer sounds and they have no panels left, anyone know anywhere that sell them in a shop near leeds?
Cheers for the replies!
 
Hello SwamiTCB

01. HD(15) VGA socket as a Video port on the PWD8 - you can Input YUV 'Component' video along with RGBHV from a suitable Video or PC source.

If you have a mixture of Composite, S-Video, RGB SCART and YUV Source signals then a suitable AV Receiver with Video Up-conversion can act as a Video hub with a single connection to the HD15(VGA) socket on the Display.

Keep in mind though your unlikely to find an AV Receiver that works with RGB SCART and will instead require an RGB to YUV converter between your RGB SCART sources and the YUV Inputs on your AV Receiver.

02. No info on this one.

03. In general the Plasma Display models are more tweakable than the PlasmaTV models and in addition the Video processing in the Displays 'add' less artefacts to the Input signal than the TV models.

04. Correct Calibration and Adjustment is relevant with any Display technology - the advantage with the Plasma Display vs. the PlasmaTV being the Display has been designed with correct Calibration and Adjustment as a requirement of the target market (Professional Video producers etc) the PlasmaTV has been designed with the great unwashed in mind and lacks a lot of the features a Calibration technician wants to see.

05. The correct model numbering is TH-42PWD8BK (UK stock with a Charcoal bezel) or TH-42PWD8BS (UK stock with a Silver bezel) - anything else is down to the bad habits of web authors or the folk that pass info to web authors.

06. RGBHV from a PC to the Displays YUV Input - not unless your Graphics Card has the ability to Output YUV.

Most don't and Output RGBHV at 30kHz and above and whilst an HD15(VGA) to YUV adapter cable is relatively easy to source it cant provide the signal conversion required to make the PC compatible with the YUV video socket. .

If you have a Graphic Card that can Output YUV then your in luck otherwise you'll require some form of conversion box between the RGBHV (VGA) Output of your PC and the YUV 'Component' Video Input on the TV.

You could fit a different Graphics card in your PC - though keep in mind Productivity software doesn't look that great down converted to Video.

Remember to factor in the Two Year Warranty on the 8 Series when your comparing it to any 7 Series products (one Year Warranty).

Best regards

Joe
 
Thanks Joe, i appreciate that must have taken a good while to write! So an AV receiver to handle the inputs as opposed to an amp doing it will definitely be an option, i'll ultimately end up going for the cheapest but it's useful having it explained, so thanks again Joe!
 

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