Recommend me a Plasma TV

mercedes

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Looking for a 42" plasma TV. I'm sure there are lots of members who have upgraded in the last 12 months and can thumbs up a model for me.
I know once I get in the showroom I'll go all glassy eyed and get distracted, so any advice on model numbers is appreciated. :)
 
hmmm well...having had a plasma for a year...Panasonic make very good Plasma and you can get one with Freesat built in too
 
Have a look here www.soundandvision.co.uk for an idea of the sort of money you should be spending before getting distracted by the bright flashing lights. 42" Tvs start from around £570
 
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hmmm well...having had a plasma for a year...Panasonic make very good Plasma and you can get one with Freesat built in too

Snap. Or if very rich a Pioneer.
 
Pioneer have stopped making plasma TVs, leaving Panasonic as the outright leader in this field. The G10 42" looks fantastic and is proving increasingly popular with those who, a year ago, would have bought a Pioneer. Much of the development of this panel was shared with Pioneer.

For a review, look no further.

For the best price, look here. Unfortunate timing, I'm afraid - it was listed at £580 just a few weeks ago.

All the best.
 
We got the 52" Samsung... Last-Year's model - not sure of the part # as it's sat at home, but we got a deal on it which meant essentially we paid half-price - about 800-€ with a set of Surround-Speakers thrown in...from Media-Markt in Koln...

You'll have to go to Germany for that though, I'd guess...
 
Curry's currently have a Samsung 50" down to £599, a saving of £200. Not sure of the budget but men always know that bigger is better!!

There are a ton of reviews out there on TV's. So browse a few web pages and then complete a search for reviews on one you like. Panasonic make some great ones but i do particulary like the styling of the Samsung's at the moment.
 
Thanks guys. The range of models is bewildering. Not like when I was a kid and model numbers stayed static for at least a year.
Panasonic and Samsung have a great reputation, so I'm browsing reviews like crazy. Spotted a 2,000,000 - 1 contrast ratio with 600hz refresh rate LG which also seems like the mother of all plasmas.
Me eads gonna hurt after today. :D
 
I upgraded my 42" Hyundai plasma (wouldn't buy another) a few months ago, I bought a fantastic 42" Samsung (best picture in the shop without paying £800+) for £550 from Richer Sounds with a five year warranty.
 
The best picture in the shop is rarely representative of the day-to-day viewing quality of plasma screens. They bump up the colours to make them saturated and punchy for maximum impact in the store. Your day-to-day viewing will be much darker and thus you need to see more how they perform with blacks as opposed to bright colours. Panasonics/Pioneers are always ranked well above the competition with regard black performance.

Similarly, the number in the contrast ratio can be somewhat disregarded and the high refresh rate isn't a major issue - most TVs perform admirably with 100hz or 240hz and you only have an effect (I said have, not notice - it's not noticable) on 600hz systems when you're playing Blu-Rays.

The best thing to do is scour internet review sites and see what comes up trumps. HDTV Test and What Hi Fi have good review sites.
 
I wouldn't entirely agree with you there Astraeus. I have looked at the wall of TVs in Richer Sounds and suchlike. There is often one or two that really do stand out from the crown. Clearer, judder free pictures and the like. I find a lot of screens have jerky, blurry movement and you need a good fast refresh rate to make it as smooth as possible.
I am thinking of getting a new TV soon, as I think my old Sony is on the way out. It has a very greenish tinge and the colours are all to pot.
 
Looking for a 42" plasma TV. I'm sure there are lots of members who have upgraded in the last 12 months and can thumbs up a model for me.
I know once I get in the showroom I'll go all glassy eyed and get distracted, so any advice on model numbers is appreciated. :)

Any reason why you are not considering an LCD?
 
Any reason why you are not considering an LCD?

I already have an LCD, but have noticed a substantial difference in screen blacks between plasma and LCD at sub £1k.
 
OK. Hadn't noticed it myself. So I won't mention the Aurea then :)
 
Bought a panasonic 50" about 2 years ago now, best tv I have ever owned, and when you plug the pc into it it becomes a 50 moniter too lol
 
Sony bravia all day, every day.
 
Had a Panasonic for the last 4 years, never missed a beat.

However, I would consider a LCD re running costs.
 
samsung or panny only for plasma, LG are not that good, and Pioneer are expensive, though the Kuro does do some fantastic black. I stick with my original assessment and say Panny, but samsung are ok, i had a sammy plasma but it was only 760p, It developed a fault, so i swapped it for 1080p LCD (cheaper to run!)
 
I wouldn't entirely agree with you there Astraeus. I have looked at the wall of TVs in Richer Sounds and suchlike. There is often one or two that really do stand out from the crown. Clearer, judder free pictures and the like. I find a lot of screens have jerky, blurry movement and you need a good fast refresh rate to make it as smooth as possible..

Sorry, I should have specified that 100hz is the minimum refresh rate I would accept on a modern-day TV. Juddery movements on anything less than football or console gaming tend to be the result of 50/60hz TVs. And of course it's not a hard-and-fast rule as certain TVs are just better-made for such viewing.
 
some 120hz tvs dont process any better than 50 or 60hz units, plasma do normally deal with it better, that said, my TV is 50hz and its very good, bluray, skyHD and gaming are very fast, no juddering, but terrestrial TV isnt that hot.
 
Another vote for the Panny 42G10......a cracking tv to last you for years
 
I went for a 42" Panasonic too, about 4 years ago. Well worth it.
 
remember to check for vga inputs they are vvv handy for hooking lappys up or if you want a media set up
 
Have a look here www.soundandvision.co.uk for an idea of the sort of money you should be spending before getting distracted by the bright flashing lights. 42" Tvs start from around £570

Thats where I went for my 42" telly... well that was the intention.. accept when I went in the 40" jobs where next to the 60" and looked lacking.. then there was a 50" on its own and I bought that....

Thing is... after about a week or two.. the oooooo isn't it big went and now its just normal. big tellies dont look big as soon as yer used to em...

Also all your visitors just take the mick... ooer couldnt you get a bigger telly?
 
Thats where I went for my 42" telly... well that was the intention.. accept when I went in the 40" jobs where next to the 60" and looked lacking.. then there was a 50" on its own and I bought that....

Thing is... after about a week or two.. the oooooo isn't it big went and now its just normal. big tellies dont look big as soon as yer used to em...

Also all your visitors just take the mick... ooer couldnt you get a bigger telly?


i think alot of it is to do not just with the viewing distance but the size of the wall its infront of, in my old house the tv sat in the bay window and looked HUGE! in this house its sat against a 4m long wall (the rooms are fairly comparible in size) and it looks fairly tame in comparison, however being able to get the speakers further apart (due to the size of the room) makes the sound so much better :D

theres always the wow factor wearing off as well to contend with
 
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My Toshiba 37" lcd tv stopped working on xmas eve:'(
It is only just under 3 years old but thanks to John Lewis 5 year guarantee i should either get it repaired or recieve a new one.
We had been thinking about getting a bigger tv so on Sunday 27th i went and had a look at some 42" screens and i ended up going for the Panasonic plasma G15 screen, which i picked up from JL the next day:)
The difference between the tosh and pannie is there is less ghosting with the higher refresher rate, blacks are superb and it can be watched from the side.
Also takes SD cards and it is great to see my pics that size:thumbs:

Ps the Tosh replacement will go in the conservatory
 
sony all day. i love mine and it always get people talkin about how nice it is. its a 40" LCD.
 
SONY BRAVIA

enough said.
 
sony all day. i love mine and it always get people talkin about how nice it is. its a 40" LCD.

thats what ive got as well - mines a V series which i think a few others on this forum have as well (i remember the threads). i think the thread starter is after something a tad bigger though so plasma is probably the right move to go for, unless of course things have moved on since i last did the old research thang!
 
I did a lot of research before going for mine and the opinion accross the board was .. LCD up to 40" and plasma for anything over 40"

that was said about 4 years ago, now the LCD technology is better and the plasma still there
 
Finished up with an LG 42" - £675 inc stand and 5 years extra cover.
A stonking picture and what a good looking beastie:)
 
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