View Full Version : Panasonic TH-42PZ700 - Full 1080P Plasma - Bye crappy LCDs!
http://www.huliq.com/17185/panasonic-presents-big-screen-1080p-high-definition-plasma-tv
Looks like Panasonic have announced a series of 1080P Plasmas with 1920x1080 resolution.
I've been dying to get a 1080P panel, but have been rather dissapointed that there have been no smaller screen 1920x1080 around. I was gonna give in an go for a shoddy LCD, with the Sony Bravia range the best there is to offer (no point having movement blurred 1080P), but now it looks like I can wait for this. £2499 RRP too, with the 50" only being £300 more.
Anyone else looking forward to their new range?
splobber
07-04-2007, 19:47
I was going to get an LCD, but will probably plump for one of these as I much prefer plasma to LCD.
The good thing is that I will get a 30% discount. :D
you have to tell us how. you lucky sod.
S1LVERBACK
08-04-2007, 06:18
this is the plasma im holding out for.i was tempted by the px70 but might aswell get the resolution and 1080p screen as opposed to upgrading again from the px70 a year or 2 down the line.i have to be honest and say i have seen the best lcd imho possible and it was a well set up sony x2000 with HD sky BUT the SD pic was less impressive and seeing as thats what 60% of my screen will be used for with hd dvd and xbox 360 last then SD pic quality is still very important imho.
I like the sound of the Plasma Concierge program, "The program is designed to ease pre- and post-purchase anxieties for consumers". So does that mean I can try one at home before deciding to buy? :D
The thing I hate about plasmas is the reflective coating.
DeadKenny
09-04-2007, 21:59
I was going to get an LCD, but will probably plump for one of these as I much prefer plasma to LCD.
Whilst I can see plasmas have an edge on the black level side due to the way they work, I've yet to see one in action that doesn't look, well, kind of fuzzy. Hard to describe but they just don't seem to be pixel perfect. But then CRTs never were either and people much prefer them. I would stick with CRTs myself if it wasn't for the fact they're insanely huge and weigh far too much.
The thing I hate about plasmas is the reflective coating.
That would be the glass ;)
Whilst I can see plasmas have an edge on the black level side due to the way they work, I've yet to see one in action that doesn't look, well, kind of fuzzy. Hard to describe but they just don't seem to be pixel perfect. But then CRTs never were either and people much prefer them. I would stick with CRTs myself if it wasn't for the fact they're insanely huge and weigh far too much.
Don't know what you mean here. The old ones were very fuzzy but they've improved majorly now. You can only tell this stuff anyway when you're standing right close to the TV. You're also forgetting the geometry issues on CRT's as well as other issues. CRT's aside, the main comparison is against LCD's which I can't stand for video use personally.
Grandmaster
10-04-2007, 07:46
Good stuff, but in the average lounge you're really going to require the 50" model to tell any difference.
Plasmas offer far better picture quality than any LCD - a far more natural picture, far better reproduction of greys, shadows etc, plus superior contrast. I love my LCD panel for PC work (plus its native 1080p support) and LCD is also just fine for gaming, but for TV and movies, plasma is unbeatable.
Good stuff, but in the average lounge you're really going to require the 50" model to tell any difference.
Plasmas offer far better picture quality than any LCD - a far more natural picture, far better reproduction of greys, shadows etc, plus superior contrast. I love my LCD panel for PC work (plus its native 1080p support) and LCD is also just fine for gaming, but for TV and movies, plasma is unbeatable.
Yeah, i sit quite close to my 42" Plasma at the moment, but for most people a 50" would be the best.
The glass effect does often give a better picture anyway. Look at Sony's XBlack LCD's with gloss finish..they seem to look far better.
S1LVERBACK
10-04-2007, 13:59
Plasmas offer far better picture quality than any LCD - a far more natural picture, far better reproduction of greys, shadows etc, plus superior contrast. I love my LCD panel for PC work (plus its native 1080p support) and LCD is also just fine for gaming, but for TV and movies, plasma is unbeatable.
100% agree :thumbs:
Nick Laslett
10-04-2007, 14:21
I have a 4th generation Panasonic 42PWD4 plasma, which I got back in 2001.
I am looking to upgrade to a 50" 1080p plasma in the near future.
Whilst researching the 1080p offerings from Pioneer and Panasonic, there was one significant difference that I think is worth mentioning.
As far as I can tell the Panazonic PZ700 will not accept a 1080p24 signal over HDMI. (I have asked the question at AV Forum and AVS Forum, but the answers are not quite definitive.)
The importance of 1080p24 is that it removes the 3:2 pulldown judder associated with playing films at 60hz.
Blu-Ray movies are encoded at 1080p24 and the players are being enabled to output 1080p24 over HDMI. Even the PS3 will get this firmware upgrade.
The screen will take a 1080p24 signal and display it at 72hz or another multiple of 24. This will yield an image free from 3:2 pulldown.
If you view a lot of PAL material and are used to the 50hz 25 frames per second method of viewing movies, then the 3:2 pulldown necessary to take a 24fps movie and turn it into a 60hz 30fps NTSC will probably be very noticeable to you.
Luckily the Pioneer 5000ex will accept a 1080p24 signal and display it at 1080p72.
Grandmaster
10-04-2007, 15:27
Isn't the Pioneer five grand though Nick? Do you think the price will drop once the Panny is out? I agree that 1080p/24 is a highly worthwhile addition for both HD DVD and Blu-ray playback.
100% agree :thumbs:
Great, we're all agreeing...good its not like the Blu-ray V HD-DVD thread huh.
Isn't the Pioneer five grand though Nick? Do you think the price will drop once the Panny is out? I agree that 1080p/24 is a highly worthwhile addition for both HD DVD and Blu-ray playback.
Damm, I forgot about 1080/24! What is the contrast ratio on the Pioneer?
Pioneer have a press conference in Rome in May which will likely see them announce their new gen plasmas which will provide 1080p support at a price far lower than their current one. Will see then how they match up with the panasonics.
DeadKenny
10-04-2007, 20:47
Don't know what you mean here. The old ones were very fuzzy but they've improved majorly now. You can only tell this stuff anyway when you're standing right close to the TV. You're also forgetting the geometry issues on CRT's as well as other issues. CRT's aside, the main comparison is against LCD's which I can't stand for video use personally.
LCDs have improved similarly, though admitted the black levels are still tricky but the newer sets do try various tricks to improve that.
Are there many 1080p plasmas though?
Also, why have Sony stopped making plasmas in favour of LCDs if plasmas are so great? Not saying they aren't, but it seems puzzling if plasma is the way to go.
From what I've experienced so far of my new LCD, things have come a long way, and it really is excellent at HD material. SD is a little more tricky though. Newer LCDs are coming along with even better contrast ratios and prices are dropping all the time.
There is currently just the one native 1080p plasma - Pioneer's expensive one. Panny do one which accepts 1080p but downscales it. This year will see each market more 1080p panels.
LCD is good for Sony as they can put all funds into one area and can produce smaller screens as well as bigger ones (plasma starts big).
S1LVERBACK
10-04-2007, 21:26
Great, we're all agreeing...good its not like the Blu-ray V HD-DVD thread huh.
your not a dirty POOH RAY lover are you ? just kidding :D
LCDs have improved similarly, though admitted the black levels are still tricky but the newer sets do try various tricks to improve that.
Are there many 1080p plasmas though?
Also, why have Sony stopped making plasmas in favour of LCDs if plasmas are so great? Not saying they aren't, but it seems puzzling if plasma is the way to go.
From what I've experienced so far of my new LCD, things have come a long way, and it really is excellent at HD material. SD is a little more tricky though. Newer LCDs are coming along with even better contrast ratios and prices are dropping all the time.
Yeah LCD's have come along way. Remember the LCD monitors around in the late 1990's, awful...or on laptops yuk. LCD is approaching its end now, its being streched technically. LED backlighting has improved things somewhat with newer uber expensive panels, but OLED is the real LCD killer (a couple years away at least).
Several issues on LCD's have been overcome completely or at least partly.. such as viewing angles, slightly better contrast, colour reproduction and response time.
I believe Sony halted production due to research and product lines. Panasonic, Hitachi and Pioneer all favour Plasma. Didn't they co lauch a web site together to show the benefits of Plasma over LCD?
fattyboombatty
11-04-2007, 21:32
this tv will be £1500 in no time.
and as for the uses of lcd/plasma.
tv/film = plasma
gaming/pc/surfing = lcd
there's just no way a plasma can handle long term static images required for gaming/pc/surfing. it doesn't matter how low you have contrast/brightness set to. any longer than 2 hours and you WILL damage the integrity of the screen. this will build up and up till eventually it's unmissable.
i have a plasma and it's great for tv/films. but as great as the image is with my consoles/pc i simply can not commit to long gaming/surfing sessions. which is what i WANT to do. unless plasma manufacturers make serious progress in this area, my next tv will have to be an lcd.
this tv will be £1500 in no time.
and as for the uses of lcd/plasma.
tv/film = plasma
gaming/pc/surfing = lcd
there's just no way a plasma can handle long term static images required for gaming/pc/surfing. it doesn't matter how low you have contrast/brightness set to. any longer than 2 hours and you WILL damage the integrity of the screen. this will build up and up till eventually it's unmissable.
i have a plasma and it's great for tv/films. but as great as the image is with my consoles/pc i simply can not commit to long gaming/surfing sessions. which is what i WANT to do. unless plasma manufacturers make serious progress in this area, my next tv will have to be an lcd.
What he says, watch Sky for too long and you will have a nice red button size dot permanently etched on your £5k screen. :(
this tv will be £1500 in no time.
and as for the uses of lcd/plasma.
tv/film = plasma
gaming/pc/surfing = lcd
there's just no way a plasma can handle long term static images required for gaming/pc/surfing. it doesn't matter how low you have contrast/brightness set to. any longer than 2 hours and you WILL damage the integrity of the screen. this will build up and up till eventually it's unmissable.
i have a plasma and it's great for tv/films. but as great as the image is with my consoles/pc i simply can not commit to long gaming/surfing sessions. which is what i WANT to do. unless plasma manufacturers make serious progress in this area, my next tv will have to be an lcd.
Burn in is no longer an issue on plasmas and it hasn't been for years. I've had a Panasonic Plasma for almost 3 years and played plenty hours gaming and its not got one bit of burn in. The first 200 hours are "slightly" risky but after that you've got no problem.
splobber
11-04-2007, 22:22
there's just no way a plasma can handle long term static images required for gaming/pc/surfing. it doesn't matter how low you have contrast/brightness set to. any longer than 2 hours and you WILL damage the integrity of the screen. this will build up and up till eventually it's unmissable.
I guess at that point you would suggest that they need to be regassed.
:nuts:
None of my plasmas have done anything like that and I meet all the criteria you describe. I feel like I am missing out. :(
What he says, watch Sky for too long and you will have a nice red button size dot permanently etched on your £5k screen. :(
Why not have your Sky box set up so the red dot disapears after 20 seconds ?
S1LVERBACK
12-04-2007, 09:21
What he says, watch Sky for too long and you will have a nice red button size dot permanently etched on your £5k screen. :(
i play console games,watch sky and have had the pc hooked upto my pw7 to watch divxs etc and i havent had screen burn or image retention once.now im not saying plasmas dont get screen burn im saying mine hasnt and this myth about all of them not being able to display a static image is nonsense.
i have fallen asleep while watching a sky+ recorded programme only to wake up 4 hours later with the "end of recorded programme" or what ever the message is displayed on my plasma with no burn or retention at all.i did go for a preview of a panasonic pv500 at my local specialist who had dragonfly running on it but had not put the film on loop so when i went to see it the screen had the dvd menu burnt onto it.he switched off the tv,keft it off for 5 minutes ,put it back on and it had gone.i didnt buy the screen as that scared me off but my pw7 has been rock solid and absolutely abused at times.
i play console games,watch sky and have had the pc hooked upto my pw7 to watch divxs etc and i havent had screen burn or image retention once.now im not saying plasmas dont get screen burn im saying mine hasnt and this myth about all of them not being able to display a static image is nonsense.
i have fallen asleep while watching a sky+ recorded programme only to wake up 4 hours later with the "end of recorded programme" or what ever the message is displayed on my plasma with no burn or retention at all.i did go for a preview of a panasonic pv500 at my local specialist who had dragonfly running on it but had not put the film on loop so when i went to see it the screen had the dvd menu burnt onto it.he switched off the tv,keft it off for 5 minutes ,put it back on and it had gone.i didnt buy the screen as that scared me off but my pw7 has been rock solid and absolutely abused at times.
Yeah the first 200 hours you have to be a bit careful. My bro's work uses a Panasonic plasma in their demo room and they usually have windows running on it and its not got one bit of screen burn.
Grandmaster
12-04-2007, 17:50
My Pioneer 433MXE is almost four years old now and it's been used for gaming, satellite TV, the works. Yes you occasionally get 'ghosting' where logos remain on-screen for too long but no way is the 'integrity' of the screen knackered in any way. It soon clears.
I seem to recall someone on here had a 50" plasma (of the same generation as mine) that had News 24 running on it for two days straight due to some unfortunate oversight. Pretty extreme ghosting, but that cleared too...
fattyboombatty
12-04-2007, 22:26
I guess at that point you would suggest that they need to be regassed.
:nuts:
None of my plasmas have done anything like that and I meet all the criteria you describe. I feel like I am missing out. :(
me too. where can i get these "perfect" tv's you own? you truly are blessed with good fortune. :notworthy
splobber
12-04-2007, 22:35
Must be a lot of us blessed with that fortune as I know stacks of people that own plasmas and nobody has even mentioned screen burn. A bit of retention, yes, but that fades as soon as there is a moving image.
S1LVERBACK
12-04-2007, 22:46
me too. where can i get these "perfect" tv's you own? you truly are blessed with good fortune. :notworthy
well you can have this
http://www.richersounds.com/showproduct.php?cda=showproduct_clearancebargains&pid=PANA-TH42PW6B
or
http://www.richersounds.com/showproduct.php?cda=showproduct_clearancebargains&pid=PANA-TH42PWD7
BOMB PROOF :thumbs: and give a cracking pic on sd (unlike lcd) cough.
Woah, plasma vs LCD seems like a touchy subject on here... Best not mention them for fear of "unleashing hell".
As for turning the red dot off after 20 seconds, I had no idea you could do that Deanos, where is it in the Sky setup?
dannywonderful
13-04-2007, 09:50
Woah, plasma vs LCD seems like a touchy subject on here... Best not mention them for fear of "unleashing hell".
As for turning the red dot off after 20 seconds, I had no idea you could do that Deanos, where is it in the Sky setup?
Services - 4 System Setup - 1 Picture Settings - On-Screen Icon Timeout
Wicked, thanks for that Danny, youa re truly wonderful. :)
BlueDwarf
13-04-2007, 16:55
this tv will be £1500 in no time.
Panasonic TH-42PX700 42" with Cabinet £1389 on Dabs.com (http://www.thedvdforums.com/jump2.php?url=http://clkuk.tradedoubler.com/click?p(50662)a(60823))
splobber
13-04-2007, 18:20
Panasonic TH-42PX700 42" with Cabinet £1389 on Dabs.com (http://www.thedvdforums.com/jump2.php?url=http://clkuk.tradedoubler.com/click?p(50662)a(60823))
That's the PX not the PZ.
fattyboombatty
13-04-2007, 22:37
well you can have this
http://www.richersounds.com/showproduct.php?cda=showproduct_clearancebargains&pid=PANA-TH42PW6B
or
http://www.richersounds.com/showproduct.php?cda=showproduct_clearancebargains&pid=PANA-TH42PWD7
BOMB PROOF :thumbs: and give a cracking pic on sd (unlike lcd) cough.
no need. i have the same tv as splobber and now he's reliably informed me it's immune to such dangers i'm off to play halo for 8 hours. praise be i is one of the blessed:notworthy
:doh:
splobber
13-04-2007, 23:59
no need. i have the same tv as splobber and now he's reliably informed me it's immune to such dangers i'm off to play halo for 8 hours. praise be i is one of the blessed:notworthy
:doh:
Make sure you don't swallow your chewing gum while you are playing though as according to my Nan it will wrap itself around your lungs and you will die.
BlueDwarf
14-04-2007, 14:30
That's the PX not the PZ.
Read on another forum they were the same model. Bloody internet posters!
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