Which is the best Plasma option ...

Hygro

I'm torn now between 3 Plasmas (originally there was just one that I wanted, until I saw the other 2, now I'm just confused).

Can anyone give me any pointers ... the 3 are as follows

Phillips 42PFP5532D
http://www.consumer.philips.com/consumer/en/gb/consumer/cc/_productid_42PFP5532D_05_GB_CONSUMER/widescreen-flat-TV+42PFP5532D-05?proxybuster=CNDOT4EH3ZHB5J0RMRESHP3HKFSEKI5P

Panasonic TH37PY70
http://www.hdtvorg.co.uk/reviews/plasma/panasonic_th37px70.htm

Samsung PS42Q97HDX (I don't know the Irish model number, if anyone can help with it I'd appreciate it)
http://www.hdtvorg.co.uk/reviews/plasma/samsung_ps42q97hdx.htm

Cheers

Keith

big_moe

Hygro wrote:

Panasonic TH37PY70
http://www.hdtvorg.co.uk/reviews/plasma/panasonic_th37px70.htm

the irish model for that is TH-37PV70, they aren't bringing the PY70 out in 37"

panasonic for me, i have the 42" and it's a cracker!

although i might be a bit biased towards Panasonic!

moe

uncle_sam_ie

Go with the Panasonic. Have a look at Pioneer as well. Both are the gold standard when buying a Plasama.

Hygro

Holy crap, saw the Panny 42PV70 and it wiped the floor with the Samsung (which was a couple of feet away).

I think I've found the holy grail

artvandulet

Just to confuse the issue, I'd go for the Samsung!:D
What HiFi picked the Samsung over Panasonic too (only just though!)
Reveiw Here
The model number you have is correct. Its the Q97 series.

I'm not familiar with the Philips model so I cant comment on it, but Im sure you can find reviews at Trusted Reviews of all three.

big_moe

artvandulet wrote:

What HiFi picked the Samsung over Panasonic too (only just though!)
Reveiw Here

but only because of the price. and they're both 50" so that review doesn't matter to the 42" and 37". as Hygro said, side by side, Panasonic all the way.

moe

Freddie59

Hygro wrote:

Holy crap, saw the Panny 42PV70 and it wiped the floor with the Samsung (which was a couple of feet away).

I think I've found the holy grail

Get the Panasonic (even though I recently purchased a 37" Toshiba myself). Panasonic's pictures are incredible - but the TV is overpriced. Pity really.:(

big_moe

Freddie59 wrote:

Panasonic's pictures are incredible - but the TV is overpriced.

i dont think it is overpriced. the 42 PV70 is now €1499. for the quality you're getting in comparison to price, i think it's a really good deal. sure there are cheaper tv's but for a couple of hundred extra, the quality of the panny is worth it.

moe

Hygro

I thought it was 1399 ...

http://www.allianceelectric.ie/products/tv/plasmalcd/th42pv70.htm

hmm, I reckon I might go for the samsung, as I was stretching my budget of 1300 for the tv, as it was.

big_moe

1499 is the full retail price. some places do it cheaper!

moe

artvandulet

big_moe wrote:

but only because of the price. and they're both 50" so that review doesn't matter to the 42" and 37"

Of course it does! They're the same spec as the 50". The only difference is the size.

BTW, Hygro, I'd be interested to know where you saw the two TV's and if the sources were the same on both, if the signal cable used was the same type and if both panels were calibrated properly.
If the answer to all three is yes then surely the Panasonic is for you!

big_moe

different sized tvs get different reviews. thats why they review a certain model and not the range.

http://www.hdtvorg.co.uk/reviews/plasma/Panasonic_TH-50PX60.htm

the old 50" panasonic gets 4 stars

http://www.hdtvorg.co.uk/reviews/plasma/Panasonic_TH-37PX60.htm

the old 37" gets 3 stars.

it happens all the time

moe

artvandulet

You've just proved my point! Read those 2 reviews you have links to. They are word for word identical except for the model numbers!
The ratings are identical too, except for features, which is odd, as they are identical from what I can see.

Hygro

Just to finish this thread off with a happy ending...

I bought the Panasonic TH-42PV70 form Alliance Electric this afternoon

Snake Plisken

Hygro wrote:

Just to finish this thread off with a happy ending...

I bought the Panasonic TH-42PV70 form Alliance Electric this afternoon

Good Man, great set, did Alliance give you thr 5 year warrenty from Panasonic, you should have got the form. Mind the set for the first 200 hours. plenty of threads on AVforums on what settings to use for burn in period

Snake

big_moe

the 5 year warranty is gone since the 31st august.

moe

JimiMac

Hygro wrote: »

Just to finish this thread off with a happy ending...

I bought the Panasonic TH-42PV70 form Alliance Electric this afternoon

Hi Hygro,
what do you think of the set now? Thinking of getting one myself.

trabpc

I thought 5 yr warrinty was going till the end of November?

that 42 inch 42PFP5532D is in tesco for an incredible 1500 wit 30%back which still leaves it at €1050.
most places have it for €999 have even seen it in sales for €800.
anyway i think the panasonic 42" is the bust buy of all 3.

well done.

big_moe

this is an old thread, i posted that message back in september.

the 5 year warranty has now been extended from 30th november until 24th december due to low stock levels.

moe

trap4

big_moe wrote: »

i dont think it is overpriced. the 42 PV70 is now €1499.
moe

I know that was posted back in September but can someone confirm that I'm not getting confused by model numbers here - Harvey Norman are now advertising the Panasonic TH-42PV70EY for €1099. Is that the same TV or does the EY designate something 'left out'.

Can someone also tell me how the PVs compare to the PXs, or what the difference? After reading other forums I was convinced that the PX70 was the best/only model for me but with that price on the PV it will be hard to pass by. In what way is the PX better (if it is)?

Scobius90

trap4 wrote: »

Panasonic TH-42PV70EY for €1099.

Trap4 are you sure its not the PV7 as opposed to the PV70???
wow if not

and the px70 is the same as the pv70, but the analogue tuner is diff and won't work here in Irl

trap4

We'll I've got to admit it strains my eyes to read the model number because it's printed in such a tiny font but AFAICS it's the model TH-42PV70EY which is priced at €1099. Mind you,... it does add "While stocks last" !!

Thanks for the clarification on the analogue tuner thing Scobius90.

BTW, here's a copy of a post I made to another forum which is seeking further clarification -

"Looking at the Harvey Norman brochure here beside me though I'm still a little confused. They have the Panasonic TH-42PV7EY at €1499 and the TH-42PV70EY at €1099.

Now the latter has very little text attached to it's description while the former has the following - PC input, HD optimizer, advanced 3D colour management, motion pattern noise reduction Viera Link. But I ask you, is all that worth €400 extra? And would you go for the €1099 model or is it missing something important? Thanks in advance."

Scobius90

Trap4,

I just rang HN in Mullingar and they said the price for the PV70 model was 1499
How new is the catalogue and do you think they would honor their advertised prices? even if its a misprint

oh and they are temporally out of stock at the mo as well

big_moe

trap4 wrote: »

"Looking at the Harvey Norman brochure here beside me though I'm still a little confused. They have the Panasonic TH-42PV7EY at €1499 and the TH-42PV70EY at €1099."

they've made a bollix of the model numbers. the prices should be the other way around. 1099 for a th42pv7ey and 1499 for the th42pv70ey (actually, to make things even more complicated (!!) the newest pv70's are TH42PV70EYA!!)

moe

big_moe

the EY & EYA etc are just country codes and stuff. the important part is the PV70 part

and yeah, the UK models are PX70 and have a DVB tuner but no VHF analogue tuner which is what we need for NTL/Chorus

moe

jmal

This might explain things a bit better.

PV7 and PV70 are the exact same screens except for two differences.
The PV7 only has 1 HDMI and 1 Scart connection where as the PV70 has 2 HDMI & 2 Scart connections. Hence the reason for the cheaper price. You will probably find the PV7 is not a standard stocked item.

The PX is the UK version of the same panel.

The NEW model 42PY70 is the FULL HD 1080p version.

Hope this helps.

big_moe

jmal wrote: »

PV7 and PV70 are the exact same screens except for two differences.
The PV7 only has 1 HDMI and 1 Scart connection where as the PV70 has 2 HDMI & 2 Scart connections.

no, the PV7 has a different screen that the PV70. the PV70 has a better screen. it has a higher contrast ratio and has more gradation steps (for colours).

the PV7 has 2 scarts as well. the PV70 only has an extra HDMI, everything else is the same.

the PV7 isnt a usually stocked item in most stores. its much better value to buy the PV70. the PV7 sells very well for commercial stuff, but for home use, its the PV70.

moe

Scobius90

:D:D:D

just ordered this Panny TH-42PX70 from http://www.richersounds.ie/

works out at £839.90 incl del which on todays exchange rate is about €1170
have to wait about a week or so for the set, as there is a shortage of supply, but for that money (assuming there isn't a major currency crisis in the next 7-9 days) I can be hugely patient

whohoooo can't wait

jmal

no, the PV7 has a different screen that the PV70. the PV70 has a better screen. it has a higher contrast ratio and has more gradation steps (for colours).

the PV7 has 2 scarts as well. the PV70 only has an extra HDMI, everything else is the same.

the PV7 isnt a usually stocked item in most stores. its much better value to buy the PV70. the PV7 sells very well for commercial stuff, but for home use, its the PV70.

moe

Hi Moe.

You were bang on with that one.

Was looking at what I preceved to be a good source for screen info.

Panasonic TH-42PV7

&
Panasonic TH-42PV70EY


Here's the correct spec:

TH42PV70EY:
1080i Digital Processing Chip-Set
1080i Digital Re-mastering Processor
3072 Equivalent Steps of Gradation
Max. 10,000 : 1 Contrast
HD Optimizer
Advanced 3D Colour management
Motion Pattern Noise Reduction
Sub-Pixel Controller
VIERA Link
2 x HDMI Input
High Quality Elegant Design
PC Input


& the

TH42PV7EY:
Max 8000:1 Contrast
1 x HDMI Input
PC Input
2,048 Equivalent Steps of Gradation
HD Optimizer
Advanced 3D Colour Management
Motion Pattern Noise Reduction
Viera Link.

jmal

just ordered this Panny TH-42PX70 from http://www.richersounds.ie/

works out at £839.90 incl del which on todays exchange rate is about €1170

Thats some price Scobius for the PX70. Will you have any issues with the PX's Digital Tuner over the PV's UHF-VHF Tunner.

Did you get the FREE 5 Year warranty with that unit?

Padraig Mor

I picked up the TH-42PV70 from Topvision a few months ago for €1100 and have to say that I'm *really* happy with it - no artefacts visible at normal viewing distance and the set itself looks great!

As mentioned above, the PX70 includes a digital tuner (for the UK), while the PV70 has a VHF tuner (for terrestrial broadcasts here - although most are on UHF IIRC?). However, AFAIK if you're only using Sky/NTL etc, it won't matter which set you get. Keep an eye out too for the PX71 which IIRC has a couple of extra features over the PV/X70.

big_moe

jmal wrote: »

Here's the correct spec:

TH42PV70EY:
1080i Digital Processing Chip-Set
1080i Digital Re-mastering Processor
3072 Equivalent Steps of Gradation
Max. 10,000 : 1 Contrast
HD Optimizer
Advanced 3D Colour management
Motion Pattern Noise Reduction
Sub-Pixel Controller
VIERA Link
2 x HDMI Input
High Quality Elegant Design
PC Input


& the

TH42PV7EY:
Max 8000:1 Contrast
1 x HDMI Input
PC Input
2,048 Equivalent Steps of Gradation
HD Optimizer
Advanced 3D Colour Management
Motion Pattern Noise Reduction
Viera Link.

they both have 1080P processing, not 1080i. and peats website has a picture of a TH42PV70 instead of the TH42PV7.

the PX70 has no UHF/VHF tuner. on NTL/Chorus only 3 or 4 channels are on UHF, the rest are all VHF.

yeah if you have Sky digital or NTL digital you'll be fine.

moe

trap4

Thanks for the clarification on the HV brochure. Are they not obligated to observe an advertised price? Just chancin' me arm ;-)

So for the small few differences between the PV7 and PV70 is it really worth paying the €400 extra from the point of view of someone like me who's not exactly a videophile?

@Padraig Mor what extra features does the PX71 have?

big_moe

if they have advertised the TH42PV70EY at €1099 they should have to oblige with that price.

i think the difference is worth it on the PV70, much better picture. colours are so much more vibrant. its harder to tell the differences between them on a HD signal, but if you're using a normal ntl/sky/dvd signal then you'll appreciate the better picture on the PV70

moe

Scobius90

jmal wrote: »

Thats some price Scobius for the PX70. Will you have any issues with the PX's Digital Tuner over the PV's UHF-VHF Tunner.

Did you get the FREE 5 Year warranty with that unit?

no issues as i'll be using NTL Digi for SD TV
wouldn't be buying it if i was only analogue

and yes they are providing the 5 year warranty also

ongarite

I'm looking at HD TV for my PS3 and I'm very interested in the Panasonic TH42PV70EY mentioned here.
Whats the consensus on it, how is with PS3 or 360? Anybody get the video cabinet with it?
Whats the 1080p input downscaling like? Any issues with this or overscan?

Scobius90

Ongarite, I haven't received mine yet but when i do i will post what i think here.


A good friend is kindly loaning me a Xbox to test out the capabilities of the TV.

As such does anyone have any suggestions for any xbox game that would give me some idea of how this set will perform?

mise

I would try it with Call of Duty 4 if possible, Gears of War and Bioshock also

ongarite

Does these model Panasonic's suffer from the purple snake issue?

Loggie

I was just wandering that myself trap4 but I found ouy that the TH-42PV70EY is the Irish equivalent of the PX70. Checkout http://www.panasonic.co.uk/plasma-tv/th-42px70ped/index.htm and you'll see the Irish model number at the bottom of the specs something to do with a freeview tuner I guess.

sorry guys hadn't read page 2 of the thred to see trap4's query properly answered by big moe

ongarite

Hey Guys,
I was in Currys and Harvy Norman today looking at the 37 and 42PV70 plasmas. I was very impressed with them both but have spotted one new feature and model revison.
In Currys, both the 37PV70 and 42PV70 were EYA designation compared to EY.
The only differnce I could see, and a good difference it is, is in setup menu, its a 100Hz screen. Toggling display from 50Hz to 100Hz made huge difference.

I'm tempted to get the 42" in Currys if it means I can get the EYA with 100Hz.

JimiMac

How much were they in Currys?

ongarite

€1499 for the 42" and €1299 for the 37"
Both had 100Hz option and MPEG NR options, unsure if PV70EY has these options. If any owner of either could confirm that would be nice.
Planning on going into Alliance Electric tomorrow and checking both screens out there and have they heard of the new revision.

trap4

I wasn't aware of the EYA difference when I bought a 42PV70 yesterday at Harvey Norman in Limerick. But after collecting it from the warehouse today and taking the box out of the van when I got home - I realized it was indeed an EYA. "Cool", I thought. Then at 6pm the girl who sold it to me rang to apologise for the mistake they'd made at the warehouse in giving me the wrong TV. "Oh, oh", I thought.

The one they gave we was a dull black she explained whereas the one I paid for yesterday was a shinier model (yup, she didn't exactly get into model numbers ;-)

"Actually I'd prefer the duller black", sez I. "Is it exactly the same TV other than that", I asked. "Yes", sez she. "Right then, I'll keep it if you don't mind."

"Grand job", sez she.

big_moe

what is your model number trap4??

is it a th42PV7EYA or TH42PV70EYA?? the pv7 is a matt black finish and the pv70 is a gloss black finish. and no, they are not the same TV. the PV70 is far superior in connections and picture quality.


and not to mention the price difference of about 300 quid...

moe

big_moe

ongarite wrote: »

€1499 for the 42" and €1299 for the 37"
Both had 100Hz option and MPEG NR options, unsure if PV70EY has these options. If any owner of either could confirm that would be nice.

they EYA ending came into effect at the start of september. dont know why panasonic did it... something to do with the fact that they reduced the price of the TVs by 200 euro maybe....

i have one of each (EY & EYA) and cant see any difference in picture quality/menu options.

ongarite wrote: »

Planning on going into Alliance Electric tomorrow and checking both screens out there and have they heard of the new revision.

of course we have!

moe

JimiMac

big_moe wrote: »

they EYA ending came into effect at the start of september. dont know why panasonic did it... something to do with the fact that they reduced the price of the TVs by 200 euro maybe....

i have one of each (EY & EYA) and cant see any difference in picture quality/menu options.



of course we have!

moe

Hi Moe,
are you sure there is no difference between the EY and EYA model?
What about the 100Hz mentioned earlier - is this a possible difference?
Jim

big_moe

as i said, that option is on both. the TVs are the exact same, i have both of them.

the ey & eya had something to do with the price decrease.

moe

ongarite

Didn't get a chance to call in the shop today, hopefully next Monday.
Whats the lead time on the 37" + cabinet?

big_moe

37s, grand.

Panasonic are out of stock of the cabinets unfortunately so not sure when they'll be back in

ongarite

Doh! I think the cabinet finishes off the whole package really well.