# New tv



## shane_ctr (Dec 17, 2006)

Hey guys,

I don't need a new tv but would like a new one, I currently have a 42" Panasonic has been a fantastic tv and is around 5 years old, I'm looking at a 50"

http://m.johnlewis.com/mt/www.johnl...v_pdp=yes&un_jtt_v_from_product=un_product_66

In terms of size as the frame is less on the 50" it won't be much bigger than what I have now and will also sit closer to the wall,

Does anyone have this TV? I'm not in to 3d or free view as I use sky hd

My only worry is viewing distance we sit 2.7m from the screen do you think this will be a problem? This is stopping me going for this

http://m.johnlewis.com/mt/www.johnl...v_pdp=yes&un_jtt_v_from_product=un_product_65


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## shane_ctr (Dec 17, 2006)

Ps my current Panasonic is plasma and the new one is LCD what difference will I see man use for TV is for sky hd and blu ray


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## SteveTDCi (Feb 8, 2006)

Biggest difference between the two ... Viewing angle, plasma = good, LCD = poor.


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## 182_Blue (Oct 25, 2005)

My LED uses a third of the power that my Plasma used, TBH LED has got so good and manufacturers seem to have given up on plasma so plasma wont be getting any better IMO, oh and as for viewing angle my LED is perfect, you just need to buy a decent LED and it will be as good if not better than plasma.


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## nick_mcuk (Jan 4, 2008)

Shaun said:


> My LED uses a third of the power that my Plasma used, TBH LED has got so good and manufacturers seem to have given up on plasma so plasma wont be getting any better IMO, oh and as for viewing angle my LED is perfect, you just need to buy a decent LED and it will be as good if not better than plasma.


Still can't beat the quality of a Plasma though sorry we looked at a lot of tv's when we needed one.

Not one LED or LCD tv could match the 50" Panasonic we bought.

LCD is getting better but they are still light years away from plasma image quality wise.


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## JamesCotton (Feb 25, 2013)

I always find Plasma's to be 'hazy' they never look as crisp as LCD's in my opinion


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## Dannbodge (Sep 26, 2010)

Anything up to 50" I would go LED anything bigger I'd go plasma


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## 182_Blue (Oct 25, 2005)

nick_mcuk said:


> Still can't beat the quality of a Plasma though sorry we looked at a lot of tv's when we needed one.
> 
> Not one LED or LCD tv could match the 50" Panasonic we bought.
> 
> LCD is getting better but they are still light years away from plasma image quality wise.


I found the opposite, in fact they hardly had any plasma TV's


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## DJ X-Ray (Sep 2, 2012)

I'd go for plasma personally, in fact i'd just stick with the tv you already have tbh, sorry, i know that's not what you want to hear :lol:


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## bigbadjay (May 29, 2012)

Plasmas have been a dead technology for afew years now.

Go LED.

If you play any games/xbox/ps3/pc go as big as you want.

Id go for a panasonic (always the best premium brand imo)

Lg are probably the best trade off for price + quality.

If your lucky enough to test one, get somthing you can play on the tv to veiw horizontal scrolling text. Black and white, and against colours this is where some tvs can struggle and is a good benchmark


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## bigbadjay (May 29, 2012)

Also, look at the features of the tv. If theres somthing on there you wont use like freeveiw hd or internet etc etc you may be able to find the same tv with a different product code with the features you want, obviously cheaper.


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## SteveyG (Apr 1, 2007)

nick_mcuk said:


> Not one LED or LCD tv could match the 50" Panasonic we bought.


LED? An LED backlit TV is still an LCD TV...



Shaun said:


> My LED uses a third of the power that my Plasma used, TBH LED has got so good and manufacturers seem to have given up on plasma so plasma wont be getting any better IMO, oh and as for viewing angle my LED is perfect, you just need to buy a decent LED and it will be as good if not better than plasma.


No it won't. The physical properties of an LCD mean it can never match a Plasma TV in terms of viewing angle, contrast, uniformity, blacks.


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## Trip tdi (Sep 3, 2008)

I think you will find with plasma it keeps up with the speed of the fast moving movies, with led the electricity is alot less and the colour is more vibrant.

How do people rate the new samsung tv's the led version ones, have they are improved the blackout in there processors, as I know the older version was suffering big times with black pigments.


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## 182_Blue (Oct 25, 2005)

SteveyG said:


> LED? An LED backlit TV is still an LCD TV...
> 
> No it won't. The physical properties of an LCD mean it can never match a Plasma TV in terms of viewing angle, contrast, uniformity, blacks.


In my eyes it will :thumb:


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## 182_Blue (Oct 25, 2005)

Trip tdi said:


> I think you will find with plasma it keeps up with the speed of the fast moving movies, with led the electricity is alot less and the colour is more vibrant.
> 
> How do people rate the new samsung tv's the led version ones, have they are improved the blackout in there processors, as I know the older version was suffering big times with black pigments.


The higher end new stuff is very good IMO, it's what I have :thumb:


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## Trip tdi (Sep 3, 2008)

Shaun said:


> The higher end new stuff is very good IMO, it's what I have :thumb:


Brilliant so yours Shawn must be the Smart led TV , I have seen these and they are a big step up to the plasma's, alot of apps and the processors are decent to handle to the picture motion content, Samsung has gone a long way in terms of smart tv's, but I do know the older version was suffering with certain black pigments and the motion rate of fast movies.


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## 182_Blue (Oct 25, 2005)

Trip tdi said:


> Brilliant so yours Shawn must be the Smart led TV , I have seen these and they are a big step up to the plasma's, alot of apps and the processors are decent to handle to the picture motion content, Samsung has gone a long way in terms of smart tv's, but I do know the older version was suffering with certain black pigments and the motion rate of fast movies.


Samsung have come on a lot over the last two years, I speak with quite a few reps from Sony, Panasonic etc and Samsung is the one they are all chasing, it's worth keeping an eye on some of the LG stuff as they are looking pretty good this year :thumb:


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## shane_ctr (Dec 17, 2006)

Shaun said:


> The higher end new stuff is very good IMO, it's what I have :thumb:


I never said I would go away from Panasonic, but the way your talking about this Samsung I may have to have a look, what model do you have Shaun


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## SteveyG (Apr 1, 2007)

Trip tdi said:


> I think you will find with plasma it keeps up with the speed of the fast moving movies, with led the electricity is alot less and the colour is more vibrant.


The colour might be more vibrant, but unrealistic. Plasma TVs can be calibrated to be far more faithful to the original material



Trip tdi said:


> How do people rate the new samsung tv's the led version ones, have they are improved the blackout in there processors, as I know the older version was suffering big times with black pigments.


Blacks have nothing to do with processing. It's to do with the inability to passively absorb 100% of the light. Dynamic backlights can help, but its very obvious.


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## 182_Blue (Oct 25, 2005)

shane_ctr said:


> I never said I would go away from Panasonic, but the way your talking about this Samsung I may have to have a look, what model do you have Shaun


Panasonic were struggling with LED but since they kind of gave up on plasma a little I think they are getting there, although I haven't looked at their very latest stuff, my Samsung is a ES8000


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## SteveyG (Apr 1, 2007)

Shaun said:


> Samsung have come on a lot over the last two years, I speak with quite a few reps from Sony, Panasonic etc and Samsung is the one they are all chasing, it's worth keeping an eye on some of the LG stuff as they are looking pretty good this year :thumb:


Samsung and LG do use cheapo Chinese capacitors in them though, so don't expect the same longevity without repair from those brands. Even our cheapish Panasonic for the bedroom as Nichicon caps in it. :thumb: The living room Sony has Rubycons in.


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## 182_Blue (Oct 25, 2005)

SteveyG said:


> Samsung and LG do use cheapo Chinese capacitors in them though, so don't expect the same longevity without repair from those brands. Even our cheapish Panasonic for the bedroom as Nichicon caps in it. :thumb: The living room Sony has Rubycons in.


If it last 5 years I will be happy :thumb:, lets face it who wants a TV older than that anyway :wave:


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## SteveyG (Apr 1, 2007)

Shaun said:


> If it last 5 years I will be happy :thumb:, lets face it who wants a TV older than that anyway :wave:


8 years so far here, just calibrated it again a few months ago and it still looks the same as a brand new TV.


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## SteveTDCi (Feb 8, 2006)

WE have a Samsung 26" in the bedroom. LCD, its rubbish compared to the 32" Panasonic LCD downstairs in the dining room, The main TV is a Panasonic 37" Plasma and it miles better than both, Panasonic LCDs are not bad and when choosing it the picture stood out compared to the others around it. The viewing angle is not bad compared to the Sammy D8000 which is pretty poor for a high end set.


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## Trip tdi (Sep 3, 2008)

SteveyG said:


> Samsung and LG do use cheapo Chinese capacitors in them though, so don't expect the same longevity without repair from those brands. Even our cheapish Panasonic for the bedroom as Nichicon caps in it. :thumb: The living room Sony has Rubycons in.


Seriously, so are Samsung ones to avoid, what is the difference between the Chinese chips and the Sony's Rubycons in, just interested as it's all new to me.


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## 182_Blue (Oct 25, 2005)

SteveTDCi said:


> WE have a Samsung 26" in the bedroom. LCD, its rubbish compared to the 32" Panasonic LCD downstairs in the dining room, The main TV is a Panasonic 37" Plasma and it miles better than both, Panasonic LCDs are not bad and when choosing it the picture stood out compared to the others around it. The viewing angle is not bad compared to the Sammy D8000 which is pretty poor for a high end set.


Didn't you try these TVs before buying ?, I always view them first in the shop and if when I get it home I am not happy with the picture then I return it and get another model ?


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## LostHighway (Sep 23, 2011)

Count me among those that still prefer plasma to LCD.


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## shl-kelso (Dec 27, 2012)

This years F8500 series Samsung plasmas are fantastic, proving that there is still progress being made in the so-called dead-end technology. Panasonic too have made more improvements in their top-of-the-range plasmas too. For LCD screens then Samsung are pushing all hard just now with their F-series 8000 & 9000 series too. Having sampled the this years models I'm tempted to upgrade my D series 64" 8000 plasma for an F series, brightness is significantly improved and PQ is fantastic. It does use more power than the LCD range, but motion handling and viewing angle are still better than LCD. It will certainly tide me over until 70-80 inch ultra HD screens are readily available.


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## bigbadjay (May 29, 2012)

Or amoled ftw

Both my samsung 42 lcd and lg 50 plasma have power + capacitor issues after the 2 year mark

Its a well known fault with both brands

Dont get me wrong, both were (are) great tellies and id still prefer a plasma but a very high end one for great refresh rate and low image retention. led shouldnt be that bad for contrast and darks


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## 182_Blue (Oct 25, 2005)

To the OP your best bet is to get to the shops and have a look at them and see what you prefer, if you buy from John Lewis then you can even take it home and see what you think of it at home, if you dont like it then they will let you return it at no cost to you.

You of course get your 5 years guarantee too so if it goes wrong then it gets sorted easily, for me 5 years is long enough for a TV and after that (if not before) i would be wanting the next best thing anyway, at about 4.5 years i start praying that my TV's develops a serious fault LOL.


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## Xploit (Nov 16, 2011)

Why do people sit anywhere but in front of the TV? viewing angle schumuing schmangle...


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## Scotty Pro (Nov 12, 2008)

I stepped up from a Panny 42 incher G10 to a Sammy 51 inch Plasma E series and its great, better than the Panny in every respect. If you like sports and fast action films then a plasma will take some beating. Calibrate it, sit back and watch a good film (Blu Ray) and you will be amazed. Pop over to AVForums and have a browse around there, loads of useful info, its like this place but for techies


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## tommyboy40 (Feb 28, 2012)

I run an AV company and we use Pioneer and NEC plasmas, they last ages and have amazing picture quality. I just don't like the picture on the non plasmas, the contrast and colour reproduction is too harsh. However a 50" plasma will pull anything from 5 to 8 amps, they are the SUV of the living room


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## kh904 (Dec 18, 2006)

Shaun said:


> If it last 5 years I will be happy :thumb:, lets face it who wants a TV older than that anyway :wave:


I don't know, I think you'll be surprised.
We had our Toshiba (crt) 28 inch surround sound tv for over 10 years. We only replaced it due to it giving up - it wouldn't power up anymore.

We replaced it with a Samsung 42 in smart led tv which is great, but imo I'd only spend the money replacing technology with something better/up to date once it no longer works.

I still use a Nokia 8800 and a creative Zen vision mp 3 player - both of which I've had for for 6 years!


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## 182_Blue (Oct 25, 2005)

kh904 said:


> I don't know, I think you'll be surprised.
> We had our Toshiba (crt) 28 inch surround sound tv for over 10 years. We only replaced it due to it giving up - it wouldn't power up anymore.
> 
> We replaced it with a Samsung 42 in smart led tv which is great, but imo I'd only spend the money replacing technology with something better/up to date once it no longer works.
> ...


OK, its just me that cant keep a TV for more than 5 years :wave:


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## kh904 (Dec 18, 2006)

Shaun said:


> OK, its just me that cant keep a TV for more than 5 years :wave:


If think there are plenty of folk who update their technology pretty regularly, and that's up to them if they can afford it. 
Everyone has their vices/guilty pleasures, but i do get plenty of stick/micky taken out of me when i pull out my phone as it's quite old which i find odd, as those very people are the ones who are often in debt, living on overdrafts etc while having the latest designer clothes, tech, cars etc (i'm not having a go at you shaun just a general observation)!


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## SteveyG (Apr 1, 2007)

Trip tdi said:


> Seriously, so are Samsung ones to avoid, what is the difference between the Chinese chips and the Sony's Rubycons in, just interested as it's all new to me.


Not avoid, but IMO it says a lot for build quality if they actually use quality components in it. I'd always recommend buying from somewhere that offers 5 year guarantee or taking out a 5 year D&G policy. :thumb:


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## Ryanjdover (Apr 1, 2013)

New LED backlit tellys are amazing. The depths of blacks and colours and general speed of the picture is great. If you can get one that big they are the way forward.


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## SteveyG (Apr 1, 2007)

bigbadjay said:


> Or amoled ftw


Or not. The blue LEDs age a lot quicker than the red and green due to the increased energy of that wavelength. You end up with inverse screen burn hence why there are still no true LED TVs.

RGB LED array backlit TVs with localised dimming (Sony's one from ages ago before Samsung started calling LED backlit LCD TV's LED TV's to confuse everyone ) are a good compromise, but LED edge lit TVs (virtually every slim one) are really poor.



tommyboy40 said:


> However a 50" plasma will pull anything from 5 to 8 amps, they are the SUV of the living room


1.2kW to 2kW?? I don't think so...


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## shane_ctr (Dec 17, 2006)

http://www.bennettsonline.co.uk/product/panasonic-tx-p50gt50b

Would this be better than my first TV on page 1?

I looked at this a month ago and was £1000+


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## Scotty Pro (Nov 12, 2008)

shane_ctr said:


> http://www.bennettsonline.co.uk/product/panasonic-tx-p50gt50b
> 
> Would this be better than my first TV on page 1?
> 
> I looked at this a month ago and was £1000+


Still going to cost a grand with the 5 year warranty, have a look at Richersounds, they price match and their 5 year warranty only costs 10% off the TV price. So in effect you can get a £800 TV with a 5 year warranty for £880 :thumb:
Your link shows Bennets wanting £300 for a 5 year warranty, thats a right rip off


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## shane_ctr (Dec 17, 2006)

Ill take a look on there site, is it a better set then the one in my link on page 1,

This is my current set

http://www.soundandvision.co.uk/tv/plasma/panasonic-tx-p42x10


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## Scotty Pro (Nov 12, 2008)

TPS have the same set as the one at Bennets for £799 including a 5 year warranty, pity you weren't a bit nearer to them.


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## shane_ctr (Dec 17, 2006)

I have bought the Panasonic tx-p50gt50b after spending ages in the shop I decided to stick with plasma, paid £748 am told the TV has been out a year and when new out was £1399 so think I have got a good deal, comes with the standard panasonic 5 years warranty. 

I had my mind set on the TV on page 1 but the guy in the shop said its expensive due to being new out and is a lower end panasonic and last years model is more top end. Can't wait to get it fitted.

Silly question I think but I keep reading about new TV running in?????


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## bigbadjay (May 29, 2012)

Yea run it at a lower brightness until the OH figures out how to turn it up


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## shane_ctr (Dec 17, 2006)

bigbadjay said:


> Yea run it at a lower brightness until the OH figures out how to turn it up


Ok that's it? Would you say half brightness? How long for? :thumb:


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## bigbadjay (May 29, 2012)

Personally id leave it on say 30% then leave it on 24/7 for afew days.

I dont really know if its necessary but i read that manufacturers recommend it.


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## shane_ctr (Dec 17, 2006)

bigbadjay said:


> Personally id leave it on say 30% then leave it on 24/7 for afew days.
> 
> I dont really know if its necessary but i read that manufacturers recommend it.


Really, is there any type of program that's best? music channel due to fast movements etc?


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## LeadFarmer (Feb 23, 2011)

Keep an eye out for image retention (as opposed to screen burn). You may notice it if you e been watching a channel with one of those channel icons in the top corner of the screen. If left on too long the image can stay on screen even after youve changed channels. 

Same as if you leave a ps3 game on over night. When you come down the next morning and realise youve left the TV on all night you may still see the game picture on the screen after switching channels.

Image retention should disappear after a while. Screen burn can be permenant. But I don't know if plasmas still suffer from screen burn?


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## bigbadjay (May 29, 2012)

Yep ^^^^^

It varies by brand


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## madstaff (Jun 4, 2012)

On my GT30B theres a function listed in advanced picture settings called "scrolling bar" which will help clear any faint images caused by image retention.


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## madstaff (Jun 4, 2012)

Run these colour slides to help break your tv in - Evangelos Colour slides

Download, save to USB, and run them for as long as poss.


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