Once off investment - need to get it right

BenEadir

Hi all,

I'm just finishing the renovation of my house and have a €5,000 budget to buy the biggest wall mounted TV set up I can.

I'm looking at the new LG 63" Plasma HD with a yamaha soundbar mounted underneath (I don't want wired surround sound with wires running all over the place) and a now that Blu Ray has one the format war I guess I'll invest in a Blu Ray player but have not researched which players are best, what they cost etc.

Can anyone recommend how they would spend +/- €5,000 to maximise this setup?

Regards,

Ben

trabpc

At 63" i would seriously consider a Projector a 1080P one. Probably cost you around the 2000-3000 euro mark.

A PT-AE2000 or similar DLP Projector may suit

(DLP may be better in bright environment)

like a Optoma HD80 Got A price from UK on this one for 1250 pounds!.

this will comfortably give you up to 120" at good quailty.

Don't falll in the same trap as me and think of Projectors like they were years ago or like the office one. Go have a look at one and you will be astonished with the Quality.

I have an optoma HD65 on the way from the UK. It a 720P projector but its a Nice PJ. for only 420 pounds.

If you insist on a Plasma I would be looking at a Kuro Pioneer not an LG For about 3000-4000 you will pick up nice 50" try Alliance Electrical.

As for Blue Ray I would hold out on buying one as none of the existing players are Profile 1.1. To my knowledge most are currently 1.0. Youwill need 1.1 to have acces to interactive features within the disc. Newer 1.1 players will be launched in a few months.

I think the best value blue ray player at the moment is the PS3 and it can also be upgraded via firmware to the newer 1.1 profile and also can be used for a game machine (Although I think the 360 has more & better games)

Hope this helps?

pwd

I agree you should get a projector.
PS3 uses 1.1 now.

jmal

I agree too, PJ all the way...

But if you are buying this as a replacment for a TV then maybe it not such a good idea unless you don't mind having to pull the blinds every time you want to watch TV.

Most home theatre projectors only go up to 2500 lumens and are badly effected by sunlight getting in to the room and under thoes circumstances I'd stick with a good Plasma/LCD.

There is only one way to compete with sunlight when using a HT Projector but it comes at a price. An Optical front projection screen which rejects light from every angle other than the projected light is how its done. Amazing screens but can sometimes cost twice what the projector cost.

BenEadir

Hi Guys,

Thanks for the tips, much appreciated. The room is quite bright with a big window on one side and double french doors leading to a bright hall on the other side neither of which will have havey duty curtains (just light decorative blinds) so I guess a projector isn't that practical.

If I stick with a big HD flat screen should I go for plasma or LCD and if so what are the best models on the market right now? Should I trade off a few screen inches (50" instead of 63") for marginally better picture quality or not as already suggested? Are there any models or special deals in the pipeline worth waiting for? I can wait a few months if necessary. What about this 60" full HD LG? http://www.powercity.ie/?par=10-14-60PF95 Any reason not to go for that? How many HDMI slots are needed/advisable with a TV these days?

The Blu Ray info was very helpful. Any suggestions on using the Yamaha sound bar? The Philips equivalent looks better with the built in DVD player but whats the point in getting that if I'm going to get a V1.1 Blu Ray in a few months anyway?

Appreciate the input guys. Please keep it coming.

Ben.

trabpc

http://www.allianceelectric.ie/products/tv/plasmalcd/pdp508xd.htm

with an irish tuner or

this one

http://www.expansys.ie/p.aspx?i=161148

not sure if it an Irish or English one. but its a little cheaper.

Not full hd I know but I dont think it matters too much Hell im buying a 720p projector to work with a 106" screen I doubt ill notice the difference at that size?

andy1249

As everyone here is saying, pretty much , if you have 5K to spend and want quality , LG is definitely not the way to go , they are average at best , Pioneer or Panasonic Plasmas are the only way to go.

BenEadir

Hi Andy,

OK those in the know feel LG doesn't cut the mustard but can anyone give me some objective reasons e.g. low contrast, slow refresh etc etc Vs Pioneer or Panasonic or do they employ inferior/older technology? Or it a subjective opinion about perceived quality of build quality/reputaion?

Also, has anyone any opinion on the Yamaha sound bar or Philips sound bar Vs conventional wired surround sound?

Regards,

Ben

andy1249

Its down to inferior electronics , any flat screen lives or dies based on how good its electronics are , to show SD , which is what you'll be mostly watching for a while yet , the set needs a good de-interlacer and a good scaler , for that , you have to stick with top names , as none of the budget names have cracked it yet.
Its not subjective , its painfully obvious on a bad set , fast movement is unwatchable.

LG sets show SD really badly , with lots of artifacts and smearing during movement , bought one myself last year and brought it back within a few days. I switched it for a more expensive panasonic and I was really happy with it.

If you want to know how good a set is , get the shop to put on some footy, that shows up the good from the bad straight away.

The yamaha YSP is supposed to be quite good but Ive never heard it so I cant vouch for it , but everyone and his mother says that no matter what you do you cant beat wired , so if you can hide wires thats the way to go.

BenEadir

Andy,

Is this the mutts nuts? http://www.pioneer.co.uk/uk/products/62/63/413/PDP-LX608D/index.html

If so do you know where I can buy one here? I've looked on all the usual sites (Komplett, Expansys, DID, Power City etc) and can't find one anywhere. I'm terrified it's going to be mega expansive!!

big_moe

excellent tv. i've seen only a few of the 60" but loads of the slightly smaller 50" PDP-LX508D

http://www.allianceelectric.ie/products/tv/plasmalcd/pdplx508d.htm
http://www.allianceelectric.ie/products/tv/plasmalcd/pdplx608d.htm

and just to clarify, those link trabpc posted are not for the same screen. the one in alliance is the PDP-508XD, the one on expansys is the PDP-5080XD, better tv the one the Alliance Electric website.

if you have 5k to spend, i would recommend the Pioneer PDP-LX508D, best tv money can buy. if you want 5k in total for the entire system, i'd recommend the Panasonic TH-50PY70, http://www.allianceelectric.ie/products/tv/plasmalcd/th50py70.htm

its 2.5K and that leaves you a few quid for the sound system & any other blu ray etc.

on blu ray players, the best of the best is Pioneer BDP-LX70A http://www.allianceelectric.ie/products/bluray/bdplx70a.htm

it is 1500 quid. panasonic have a new one due very shortly which has gotten excellent reviews, the DMP-BD30, and its going to be €499
http://www.allianceelectric.ie/products/bluray/dmpbd30.htm

adam

andy1249

Pioneer Kuro are the best by miles , with your budget I wouldnt be looking at anything else , that would definitely be a right first time buy.

BenEadir

Andy, Big Moe et al,

Serious kudos to you all for the help.

Having listened to you all I'm taking on board your opinions and zoning in on the following set up:-
1 x Panasonic TH-50PY70 for €2,499 (Wall Mounted)
1 x onkyo 805 for €1,250
1 x Panasonic DMP-BD30 Blu Ray player for €499
1 x Nintendo Wii (Already have)
1 x surround sound system with Bluetooth?
1 x DVR?

Three further questions please:-

1. Opinions on the set up? Is it optimal for the +/- €5,000 I have to spend? Anyone suggest a different set up or amendments?
2. Suggestions for a wireless/bluetooth surround sound system? I have a hardwood floor and HATE HATE HATE wires.
3. Should I get a DVR player or are NTL bringing out a HD service with built in Hard Drive for digital recording?

Really appreciate the expert opinion guys and hope I can reciprocate some day if my personal expertise is ever of use to any of you.

Regards,

Ben

ongarite

Isn't the Onkyo around €600, not €1250. You must mean the 805 model. The 650 is half price and certainly isn't half the quality of the 805.

BenEadir

Yep, apologies, meant the 805. Have changed the original posting.

BenEadir

Guys, this seems like a pretty good review for the new Full HD 60" LG Plasma, http://www.hdtvorg.co.uk/reviews/plasma/lg_60pf95.htm?indexToolsVariables=com.pricerunner.web.service.analytics.impl.IndexToolsVariablesBase%4056b118&adsContext=MojoAdsContext+%7B01%2C+Mo%2C+hs0002735%7D. Power City have them for just over €3,000.

Is a 50" Panasonic for €500 less a better deal?

Regards,

John

johnnyflav

BenEadir wrote: »

Andy, Big Moe et al,

Serious kudos to you all for the help.

Having listened to you all I'm taking on board your opinions and zoning in on the following set up:-
1 x Panasonic TH-50PY70 for €2,499 (Wall Mounted)
1 x onkyo 805 for €1,250
1 x Panasonic DMP-BD30 Blu Ray player for €499
1 x Nintendo Wii (Already have)
1 x surround sound system with Bluetooth?
1 x DVR?

Three further questions please:-

1. Opinions on the set up? Is it optimal for the +/- €5,000 I have to spend? Anyone suggest a different set up or amendments?

Yeah that looks like a spot shopping list for a lovely top end system. I would say go for the 50" Pana before the 60" LG. Like they say size isn't everything:D
I would say give a little more consideration for the PS3 as your Blu Ray player, it's got all the hardware inside to provide you with an up to date player for the next few years. And maybe provision €100-€150 for a universal remote control, you'll appreciate it once you see how many remotes you'll need to work all these things together.

BenEadir wrote: »

2. Suggestions for a wireless/bluetooth surround sound system? I have a hardwood floor and HATE HATE HATE wires.

Sorry can't help you with this, I have very little knowledge of wireless speaker sets. You could always run wires through the walls, or possibly by the skirting boards... Another option is the Yamaha sound bar, I've had a listen in a demo room, and it's quite impressive for the size and convenience.

BenEadir wrote: »

3. Should I get a DVR player or are NTL bringing out a HD service with built in Hard Drive for digital recording?

NTL have been promising HD &DVR services for years now, with absolutely no progress being made. It'll be a long time before they get their act together and sort out their service, I've given up on them years ago.
Sky have a decent service for HD, and their HD box has Sky+ functionality which is just fantastic. Once you get it you won't be going back to NTL.

trabpc

BenEadir wrote: »

Guys, this seems like a pretty good review for the new Full HD 60" LG Plasma, http://www.hdtvorg.co.uk/reviews/plasma/lg_60pf95.htm?indexToolsVariables=com.pricerunner.web.service.analytics.impl.IndexToolsVariablesBase%4056b118&adsContext=MojoAdsContext+%7B01%2C+Mo%2C+hs0002735%7D. Power City have them for just over €3,000.

Is a 50" Panasonic for €500 less a better deal?

Regards,

John

Yes the Panasonic will be a much better TV. All the TV's on that site score between 82% and 95% with the majority falling between 88% and 92% how can this be? are there no bad TV's according to this site?

andy1249

This quote from the LG review says it all , basically SD is brutal on LG's.

Inevitably, Standard Definition (SD) viewing on the LG 60PF95 is not so good. Reasonable levels of detail, sharpness and clarity are maintained with a 1080i source such as Sky, but with Freeview, the deterioration in picture quality is marked. Loss of sharpness and the shear amount of video noise become intrusive to the viewing experience. This is a reflection of the video source as much as the 60PF95, but we have seen large panels that handle Freeview with more confidence.

Thats pretty much why I brought mine back , remember , SD is still 99%% of what you'll be watching , even with a SkyHD box theres only a handful of HD stations.

You need a set that does SD well , and there are plenty out there , Pioneer , Panasonic and so on.

mathias

I have to agree , Ive installed a few , LG are not very good when it comes to standard def. Stick with the Panasonic.

My first choice if money was no object would be a kuro , but it is a hefty price tag.

dc69

BenEadir wrote: »

Hi all,

I'm just finishing the renovation of my house and have a €5,000 budget to buy the biggest wall mounted TV set up I can.

I'm looking at the new LG 63" Plasma HD with a yamaha soundbar mounted underneath (I don't want wired surround sound with wires running all over the place) and a now that Blu Ray has one the format war I guess I'll invest in a Blu Ray player but have not researched which players are best, what they cost etc.

Can anyone recommend how they would spend +/- €5,000 to maximise this setup?

Regards,

Ben

dont go near lg,they are ****.at the size you want plasma is superior and the pioneer kuro are the best money can buy.
DO NOT BUY IN IRELAND,YOU WILL BE ROBBED.

I buy my stuff from this place and they are very cheap and deliver to Ireland,I would recomend although ring up and make sure they have it in stock or you will be waiting. www.ajelectronics.co.uk

TBH if you were even looking at LG you obviosly arent into tv's and home cinema and just want a nice tv(no offence)
So i think you will be wasting money to buy the latest kuro pioneer because if you arent really into picture quality and a home cinema buff,then the price isnt worth it.

if i was you i would buy a samsung LE40M87 full hd tv,like this
http://www.ajelectronics.co.uk/ViewProdDetails.asp?prod_code=LE40M87BDX&Prod_name=Samsung%20LE40M87BDX%20Full%20HD%20Ready%20LCD%20TV%20&CAT_CODE=7

and then i would buy a projector ,for when you want to watch a film or footie,as above posters have said,the quality is astonishing and all you need is some blackout blinds.get the Optoma HD80.that way you get a brilliant tv that is plenty big and then a huge projector aswell

Nedved85

I have a Benq 720p projector and it is much more economical than any tv,huge screen sixe with excelent clarity from a small box(buy a 1080p one if you have the money),if your room has a decent set of curtains as you said before then you should have no problem,get sky hd hooked up to it,a ps3 or xbox 360 and youll be laughing as to why you wanted to get a Plasma in the first place!

big_moe

BenEadir wrote: »

The room is quite bright with a big window on one side and double french doors leading to a bright hall on the other side neither of which will have havey duty curtains (just light decorative blinds) so I guess a projector isn't that practical.

he already that a projector wouldn't suit.

projectors are the busniess alright if you've the room for it i.e. heavy curtains, no skylights etc

i like the idea of a plasma for day to day tv watching and then a projector for films. watching a projector for all day tv use does my head in, having the room all dark and such. but at night time, to watch a film, it's savage

BigFish75

DC69,

I'm thinking about getting a 50" Kuro also but was put off by the €5,000 local price until I saw your post. AJ Electronics in the UK have this baby for STG£1,999 which equates to just €2,700. http://www.ajelectronics.co.uk/ViewProdDetails.asp?prod_code=PDP508XD&Prod_name=Pioneer%20PDP508XD%2050%20Inch%20Plasma%20KURO%20&CAT_CODE=7

Is that effectively the same model as this one in Alliance Electric http://www.allianceelectric.ie/products/tv/plasmalcd/pdplx508d.htm?

If so what are the downsides to getting it from the UK other than additional shipping costs (€200?) and having to wait a few more days? Is the built in tuner useless here and is that a problem if I'm going to be using NTL or Sky anyway? Is the warranty valid if shipped to Ireland? Saving €2,000 is a lot of money so worth doing providing there are no surprises.

Appreciate any help you can give me.

Homer

Hi BigFish,

The model they show (and it's written underneath it is the PDP508XD) which retails here for 3699 but can be got for less.
So £2k equates to roughly 2700 euro then add delivery and warranty issues should you have any and see is it still worth saving a couple of hundred euro.
Your decision at the end of the day.

So the model they show IS NOT the 1080P version, just so you understand that.

Cheers

dc69

BigFish75 wrote: »

DC69,

I'm thinking about getting a 50" Kuro also but was put off by the €5,000 local price until I saw your post. AJ Electronics in the UK have this baby for STG£1,999 which equates to just €2,700. http://www.ajelectronics.co.uk/ViewProdDetails.asp?prod_code=PDP508XD&Prod_name=Pioneer%20PDP508XD%2050%20Inch%20Plasma%20KURO%20&CAT_CODE=7

Is that effectively the same model as this one in Alliance Electric http://www.allianceelectric.ie/products/tv/plasmalcd/pdplx508d.htm?

If so what are the downsides to getting it from the UK other than additional shipping costs (€200?) and having to wait a few more days? Is the built in tuner useless here and is that a problem if I'm going to be using NTL or Sky anyway? Is the warranty valid if shipped to Ireland? Saving €2,000 is a lot of money so worth doing providing there are no surprises.

Appreciate any help you can give me.

still a very nice tv,if your gona go for 1080p tv and your getting sky hd and will be watching blu ray films then get a 1080p lcd.imo lcd>plasma for full hd content,samsung are especialy good for hd content

the total price for the model you were looking at inc delivery is €2806

which is a very good price still.

big_moe

dc69 wrote: »

.imo lcd>plasma for full hd content,samsung are especialy good for hd content.

you cant compare lcd to plasma, let alone compare samsung to Pioneer.

plasma is better than LCD, and Pioneer is the best plasma.

LCD looks alright on full hd, i agree, but plasma still looks far better.

and on non-HD stuff LCD is well behind compared to a good plasma

dc69

big_moe wrote: »

you cant compare lcd to plasma, let alone compare samsung to Pioneer.

plasma is better than LCD, and Pioneer is the best plasma.

LCD looks alright on full hd, i agree, but plasma still looks far better.

and on non-HD stuff LCD is well behind compared to a good plasma

yeas exactly what i said aboiut sd,for hd lcd is better,simple as

big_moe

dc69 wrote: »

yeas exactly what i said aboiut sd,for hd lcd is better,simple as

no, i dont agree with that. i look at lcd & plasma all day in work on 1080p and there is no comparison. colours (specifically blacks) look FAR better on plasma. and movement is MUCH better on plasma. i also have both types at home and the plasma is clearly better.

A Pioneer/Panasonic plasma looks better than any LCD with any source i've seen (Sky SD, Sky HD, NTL, Blu Ray & DVD)