What's the disadvantage of buying "professional" panels?

heihei

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I suspect I'm similar to many people on this forum who just need a plasma as a display, as the tuner function is taken care of by Sky(+), and sound is done via an external amp and home cinema speaker set-up.

Given this, it strikes me I'm paying for things I don't need, and particularly in the case of speakers that are not detatchable, have something taking up space on my wall.

Are there any disadvantages in using pro-spec panels?
 
I'm sure MAW will have a proud smile at this but, aesthetics. Pro panels tend not to be as styled as their consumer counterparts, ie: piano black etc....

This may not bother you, but when you have lots of shiny black speakers (fpms) and a shiny black stand. A shiny black telly does look appropriate.
 
I think you've summed it up there Bix. Styling can be poor, on the other hand, interior designers love Panasonic, so minimal... They have grown beyond the 'tart's boudouir' look. Honestly though, a panel requires a bit more engineering in the setup/specification stage, and is probably not best if you must have speakers on the side for everything. If you just need them for TV, it's still on the cards, ie you'd only use them for corrie. And anyway, ask Graham nicely and your Fujitsu panel will come in the best shiny black finish of all.
 
As a long time hi-fi buff, I can see where MAW is coming from. As an analogy, the best sounding hi-fi often came in rather peculiar and aesthetically odd packages - but the sound (as with vision) was paramount, and so Naim and others still flourish.

Funny though, that after years (and a fortune spent on hi-fi), my greatest love has become my little Linn Classik, a tidy, neat, consumerist all-in-one hi-fi that sounds better than any of my Arcam or Audiolab gear (admittedly not very top end) over the years. It looks good (wife friendly), and is most importantly fun and musical. I'll bet the Classik is one of Linn's top sellers.

I guess my point is - there is no reason (apart from a few pounds) why professional panels cannot have the same aesthetics as consumer plasma TV's. Imagine a Pioneer panel with the looks of a 436XDE, or a PHD8 in piano black with a pedestal stand- I mean, why not? Where is the "Linn Classik" of plasma?

Anyway, hello everybody!
 
Good point, I have a Panny PWD6 which serves it purpose, but I'd love a Pio 436, mostly for PQ, but also for the looks.
 
The installation process can be a little more difficult for commercial panels as well, as you need to fit boards etc.

The whole connectivity issue can also, I suppose, seem daunting to someone who's not particularly technically-minded. On a PV500/XDE you have component, scart, hdmi, composite, svideo etc. while on a PHD/MXE you don't, by default. Of course you can buy the appropriate boards, or pay a professional to take care of things, but it does require more upfront thinking.

Most regular shops do not display nor sell commercial panels, which is one of the reasons why regular people (who are not google experts, don't investigate every option) don't even know they can get a commercial panel which will better suit their needs.
 
symphara said:
Most regular shops do not display nor sell commercial panels, which is one of the reasons why regular people (who are not google experts, don't investigate every option) don't even know they can get a commercial panel which will better suit their needs.

I think you have hit the nail right on the head! Being able to walk into a high street store and see the product is key.

For me I couldn't just walk into John Lewis and buy a panel and tbh I will only buy from them for the legendry service and 5 year warranty. With something as fragile as a plasma I think it is a very wise choice! (price match helped also)

I am google savy and nearly went for a 42PW7 from AV-Sales a year back, but the concerns over warranty put me off.

Panels are cheaper as they are just that, a panel, and by the time you have added on the extra costs of the input boards the advantage that first appeared has left the building... with the TV looking a better option for most...

Also panels are targeted at business not the consumer so have their benefits and pit falls (most looking like a cheapo plastic box). Consumer panels the same, they can look great (XDE :thumbsup:) but are lacking in other areas (HTPC input).

How many companies would be looking to display a presentation or data from a PC compared with the number of homes with a PC permenately connected???? Exactly, so this might explain why PC inputs are so lacking on consumer TV's. Of course over time this will change as the HTPC becomes more acceptable and more common place in the front room

another of my 720p's worth...
 
Of course over time this will change as the HTPC becomes more acceptable and more common place in the front room
This is highly unlikely to change, as plasma becomes relatively cheaper, so the plebian masses who have no interst in PCs become the majority buyers. Quality all round will go down, not up. I still maintain the panel approach IS cheaper, assuming you'd want a PVR and surround sound anyway that is. It's not a cheaper way to achieve a stand alone telly. They are certainly better quality already. Really, only cosmetics are against them for at least 60% or forum users. That'll be about 5% of the average Currys customer then. Readers of the Sun and the Mirror are unlikely to be better off with a panel.
 
MAW said:
...Readers of the Sun and the Mirror are unlikely to be better off with a panel.

I like the analogy, no sweeping genaralisation made then... :rotfl:
 
No, I said unlikely. I've met some surprisingly erudite readers of the sun, and have met an ex editor, a neighbour of a client. But the majority of them will buy a techwood and a £100 surround system.
 
MAW.

I read the Sun!!
I also am looking to get either a 50" PHD8 or a 506XDE. I really love the look of the Pioneer but also want to use a MCE PC, so I'm torn.
I am going to set them up with a Denon AV Reciever, a Sky HD box (eventually), an Arcam CD Player and a Rega turntable!!

Does this mean there is something wrong with me????
Do I need some sort of therapy??
Sould I force myself to get a techwood?

I should also point out that I read the Times as well. The financial supplement is good as I dabble in a few shares.
I'm not really a Sun reader am I....... Ok, I'll stop buying it.:)

Andrew
 
I'm sure a techwood will do you nicely! And the speakers are just like elephant's ears too. The PHD would do your job, there is no doubt. The DVI board, and if that's a 3806 you should be able to switch the PC at 1366/768/60Hz and sky at 720/50 via the amp's HDMI switching, with dvi-HDMI from PC to amp, and HDMI-DVI from amp to screen. Just 1 board to buy then.
 
Who reads the Sun? I thought you just looked at the pictures. :rotfl:
 
AndrewTheMuppet said:
MAW.

I read the Sun!!
I also am looking to get either a 50" PHD8 or a 506XDE. I really love the look of the Pioneer but also want to use a MCE PC, so I'm torn.
I am going to set them up with a Denon AV Reciever, a Sky HD box (eventually), an Arcam CD Player and a Rega turntable!!

Does this mean there is something wrong with me????
Do I need some sort of therapy??
Sould I force myself to get a techwood?

I should also point out that I read the Times as well. The financial supplement is good as I dabble in a few shares.
I'm not really a Sun reader am I....... Ok, I'll stop buying it.:)

Andrew

yes stop buying it......get the Beano if you must have a comic :)
 
If you visit Tesco's on a regular basis the Panasonic plasma panels will make you feel right at home....however if you regularly frequent 'tarts boudouir's' then the Pioneer XDE/FDE is apperantly for you. Having owned both and prefering the Pioneer from both a picture and aesthetics point of view and also not reading the Sun (or any other news paper) i'm confused about what type of person I am?! I'm a regular reader of CAR magazine.....hope this helps!
 
MAW said:
The PHD would do your job, there is no doubt. The DVI board, and if that's a 3806 you should be able to switch the PC at 1366/768/60Hz and sky at 720/50 via the amp's HDMI switching, with dvi-HDMI from PC to amp, and HDMI-DVI from amp to screen. Just 1 board to buy then.

Thanks MAW.
What an amazingly compact but incredibly informative post that was. :smashin:


Andrew
 
MAW

Just one thing though. I thought you said elsewhere on here that the Panasonic DVI had some kind of limitation that the New Pioneer MXE screen didn't??

Also, if I connect as you say, do i get 1:1 pixel mapping from the PC but a "proper" overscaned output from sky?
This would obviously be ideal (the holy grail as you say).
Thanks mate.

Andrew
 
The limitation is the 60Hz. The Dvi board does video res at 50Hz, but not PC ones. That means that playing PAL DVDs might result in some frame rate conversion judder, noticeable in slow pans, flying balls, roof jumping scenes in Crouching tiger, that kind of thing. If it's HD stuff from the net, games, web pages, it's a positive advantage not a drawback. All that is better at 60Hz.

Way round this is to have 2 display profiles, 1 native at 60Hz, the other 1280/720 at 50Hz just like skyHD
 

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