Upgrading from 2008 Viera, need advice

bigtimtumtum

Novice Member
Joined
Nov 16, 2018
Messages
4
Reaction score
0
Points
26
Age
44
Location
bristol
Hi All

I purchased a Viera TH42PZ81B in 2008, there's nothing actually wrong with my plasma, it's super heavy though and doesn't have the whizz-bang of 4k or HDR etc so I feel it's time to upgrade (to a 55"). It's a plasma, I know they're not in production anymore but is it lore that modern TVs are better? The picture was great, the only issue I ever noticed was with expanses of water in motion, it couldn't quite keep up.

Looking into a replacement, It's brought on some confusion as to what I should be aiming for - I went to a showroom today with the Samsung Q7 in mind but whilst there they had terrestrial TV on display and noticed that the cheaper ue55nu8000 in front had the same programme on but looked significantly better. However, as i've no idea if the TV was set up properly (the assistants didn't know) I don't know if this is actually the case with the set - as they are both Samsung's I thought the later model would be much better but wasn't?

I have max £1300 to spend, I intend to hook my PS4 so need something that decent for games and am up for any recommendation, any make as long as it's 55"
 
For £1,300 you could stretch to a 55" LG B8 OLED, they are at £1,299 at a few different retailers, Currys, Richer Sounds etc.

Lg Oled55b8s
 
does anybody own the above mentioned LG? And do they have experience with a plasma - i was disappointed with the standard def of the two 55" i saw today but i don't know if that was because of the size of 'em compared to my older TV or if plasma's were better in general? Showing my ignorance here I realise but want to make sure i get it right
 
does anybody own the above mentioned LG? And do they have experience with a plasma - i was disappointed with the standard def of the two 55" i saw today but i don't know if that was because of the size of 'em compared to my older TV or if plasma's were better in general? Showing my ignorance here I realise but want to make sure i get it right

Sorry probably should have mentioned I have the B8 but have never had any experience of plasma.

I had an Sony LED 4K HDR model before getting the B8 and I managed to compare them side by side. The difference between the two is like night and day!

The deep blacks of the B8 OLED just make everything pop off the screen.

I would highly recommend getting the B8 especially as your budget stretches to it.

Of course burn in needs to be considered with an OLED but I would say as long as you aren't watching news channels with tickers all day long you should be ok.
 
Second vote here for the B8.
 
Hello and welcome to the Forums!

Ten years with the same TV, well done you!

Okay, basically there are two current TV technologies: LCD/LED (LED is LCD but with additional backlighting) and OLED. Like you, I also had a plasma (I actually started with LCD but quickly realised that plasma was superior) and only went 4K to get a bigger screen size (plasma = 60", OLED = 65").

If you're coming from plasma, then I would strongly recommend that you go OLED as that is the nearest equivalent. My boss bought a new 55" Sony LED a few months' back and my older OLED absolutely crushes it for motion control and, especially, black levels.

There can be issues with image retention and burn in on OLED's, but coming from a plasma you'll already be aware of this. LCD doesn't appear to have the same problems.

What content do you watch? SD/HD? Are you a gamer? Freeview or cable/satellite? Will the TV be part of a 5.1/7.1 system? Do you use a soundbar/soundbase?

I'd recommend that you go to Richer Sounds and try and set up a demo away from the shop floor. Ask them if you can set it up to a personal picture preference i.e turn all the picture aids off and take some of your own content i.e. DVD's or Blu-Ray's.

Whatever you do, DO NOT buy anything from Currys! They are clueless and will try and sell you expensive crap like extended warranties and accessories you don't need!

Good luck!:)
 
Last edited:
Made the jump from a panny to a B8 and it was worth it. Only if you have High definition sources though. Freeview isn't going to look any better on an oled.
 
thanks for the replies - I was all in for the LG until I looked on that forum link and read the wealth of issues with the screens. Seems like a lucky-dip. Were there issues like this affecting Plasmas at the time? This is all new to me, first time i've dipped into the deep world of TV comparisons.

Regarding the Freeview, I can appreciate in won't look any better- but would it look worse considering the screen size would be bigger? I'm thinking of older programmes specifically - I like a bit o'Fraiser in the morning ...
 
yeah it's not going to look great. 42inch Plasma will look better for SD material.
 
thanks for the replies - I was all in for the LG until I looked on that forum link and read the wealth of issues with the screens. Seems like a lucky-dip. Were there issues like this affecting Plasmas at the time? This is all new to me, first time i've dipped into the deep world of TV comparisons.

Just keep in mind that some people are perfectionists. Some people will run test slides day after day to check their panel and then get concerned when they can see some issue or other (that might disappear due to automatic maintenance). This is all far and above actually watching a movie or tv. Yes, some problems are very real.

Do also keep in mind that LCD/LED aren't defect free either, they get returned for display faults too.
 
thanks for the replies - I was all in for the LG until I looked on that forum link and read the wealth of issues with the screens. Seems like a lucky-dip. Were there issues like this affecting Plasmas at the time? This is all new to me, first time i've dipped into the deep world of TV comparisons.

Regarding the Freeview, I can appreciate in won't look any better- but would it look worse considering the screen size would be bigger? I'm thinking of older programmes specifically - I like a bit o'Fraiser in the morning ...

Both technologies have their problems, it's six of one and half a dozen of the other.

The Panasonic 55" FZ802 is a good alternative to the LG. Bear in mind that all OLED panels are LG's underneath, but Panasonic appear to work harder to eliminate the tech's inherent weaknesses.

I watch Freeview SD and DVD's on my 65" screen and it really does vary between content. The shopping channels are basically unwatchable (for all kinds of reasons!), but the BBC and some well mastered DVD's are fine once you've made the adjustment. SD will never look as good as HD, but it should be perfectly watchable on a 55" screen.

The Panasonic is currently £1500:

Panasonic TX55FZ802B

which is £200 over your budget. It might be worth keeping an eye on this during Black Friday/Cyber Monday and see if anyone knocks more off the price.
 
Last edited:
55" Panny Oled gets my vote I bought the 55ez952 for £1299 with a five year warranty
Great tv and I had 3 Panasonic plasma's before taking the plunge on OLED
 
I too have the slightly older Panasonic TH42PZ80B and trying to decide between the 55in B8/C8 and cannot decide which one?. To be honest there is nothing wrong with my plasma. Still excellent PQ and no screen burn. Would prob put it in the bedroom.
 
Update: found the Panasonic here for £1349!

Panasonic TX-55FZ802B TV - Buy the latest 55 inch Panasonic TV online

1. Put the TV in your shopping basket
2. Click on Discount Codes
3. Type in WIRE10

The new total should then appear.

I'd grab that if I were you, the TV was £2400 when it was first released!


that was actually one that grabbed my attention when I was in John Lewis looking at the others - but it didn't have any standard def. content on it so wasn't sure. What's the difference between that and the otehr one mentioned, the 55ez952? Any body have any experience dealing with the Panasonic refurb store on ebay? There's a 55ez952 on it for just under 1k..
 
that was actually one that grabbed my attention when I was in John Lewis looking at the others - but it didn't have any standard def. content on it so wasn't sure. What's the difference between that and the otehr one mentioned, the 55ez952? Any body have any experience dealing with the Panasonic refurb store on ebay? There's a 55ez952 on it for just under 1k..

The EZ952 is last year's iteration so can be picked up very cheaply now.

Looking at the Owners' Forum, it seems it suffered with frame stuttering on certain content and fast panning shots, but an update solved the problem? I'm not entirely sure, you would need to ask someone on that Forum.

The FZ802/952 has eliminated that stutter from the outset which is why I recommended it. Use the Search function top right of the page to look up this site's reviews of both the EZ952 and the FZ802 for further comparison.
 

The latest video from AVForums

Is Home Theater DEAD in 2024?
Subscribe to our YouTube channel
Back
Top Bottom