TVs, The more I read the more confused I get

[Duds]

OK, I was considering taking the hi-def plunge, and wasnt even considering a plasma tv. Well, I found out a buddy of mine gets killer discount son Panasonic stuff, and I could probably get a TH42PX60U for around $900-1K.

I have read very good things about this particular set, and also that Panny does plasma very well.

I have a few questions though.

How do plasmas do with sporting events?

Would I be stupid buying a tv that only does 720p?

I was looking into the JVC Lcos sets, and granted they are a lot more money, but I would be willing to spend it if it was that much better of a set

Any help is greatly appreciated.

[edtyct]

Hi Duds,

If you've already read this thread, you've already heard from me and probably don't need to again. But, in my opinion, a TH42PX60U is a steal. Everything you've read is true, and my own impressions of this panel, after doing a brief calibration and watching HD on it for a while, are really favorable. The colors pop, and the black level creates terrific contrast. It's also attractive and loaded with features. Since plasmas don't have the same motion blur issues as LCD, they're at no disadvantage for sports (as long as color etc are okay). Plasmas can have their own kind of image retention, but in general, it's not problematic. I noticed nothing of the kind on the Panasonic that I had around.

If you sit more than 8 feet away from a 42" set, the difference between 720 and 1080 is negligible. Viewing distance is a tradeoff between being close enough to see all of the resolution that a panel offers and far enough away not to be distracted by its picture elements--ie, the gaps between cells. Small TVs, mainly LCDs, that can achieve 1080p may not have much to show for it except bragging rights; you literally have to sit too close for comfort to get the benefit, if you can get it at all. At a more conventional distance, the extra resolution melts away. In other words, 720p is not obsolete.

I won't lie to you. At the moment, I have a thing for LCoS, but I can still appreciate a good plasma when I see it, and the Panasonic qualifies, especially at $1000 or less. A good LCoS isn't necessarily $1000 better. Plasma's small footprint and wall-hanging capability are also nothing to sneeze at. No one should make this decision for you, but whichever way you go, you aren't likely to be disappointed.

Ed

[Duds]

That is awesome info, and exactly what i was looking for. The thing about the JVC LCoS sets is that the smallest set is 52". I already have a 50" RPTV and find it too big, so I think a 42 would be perfect for my room.

I'm definitely going to give this Panny serious consideration.

I'm guessing my Denon 2910 dvd player will owrk quite well with it?

One other thing, how is this set with standard def tv?

[edtyct]

The Denon 2910 tends to work well with everything, but I seem to recall that its minor macroblocking (blotchiness on colored backgrounds from decoding compressed video) can show up on Panasonic plasmas. In any event, it wouldn't be a big deal, but if you can hook yours up to a Panasonic plasma before you buy it, why not?

I always hate to give an opinion on how SD looks on any HD TV, since people have different tolerances. Personally, I've hated watching any non-HD every since HD arrived. The 480 stuff, such as digital HBO etc, doesn't bother me much (not counting HBO's reluctance to show any film not in HD at 16x9), but the analog leftovers don't have much hope on a digital display. I wouldn't say that Panasonic's deinterlacing is particularly good, but relatively small screens are kinder to poor video than bigger ones are. You might want to get a wider sample of responses about the Panasonic's SD performance than mine and draw your own conclusions. Suffice it to say that HD TVs were made to thrive with high resolutions; they tread water with everything else. That's why external video processors were born.

Ed

[Duds]

well to be honest, I dont watch a whole lot of dvds, i mainly use the 2910 as my cd/sacd player.

I'm going to check this tv out for sure. like you said though, these tv's were made for HD viewing.

thanks for the help Ed!

The Denon 2910 tends to work well with everything, but I seem to recall that its minor macroblocking (blotchiness on colored backgrounds from decoding compressed video) can show up on Panasonic plasmas. In any event, it wouldn't be a big deal, but if you can hook yours up to a Panasonic plasma before you buy it, why not?

I always hate to give an opinion on how SD looks on any HD TV, since people have different tolerances. Personally, I've hated watching any non-HD every since HD arrived. The 480 stuff, such as digital HBO etc, doesn't bother me much (not counting HBO's reluctance to show any film not in HD at 16x9), but the analog leftovers don't have much hope on a digital display. I wouldn't say that Panasonic's deinterlacing is particularly good, but relatively small screens are kinder to poor video than bigger ones are. You might want to get a wider sample of responses about the Panasonic's SD performance than mine and draw your own conclusions. Suffice it to say that HD TVs were made to thrive with high resolutions; they tread water with everything else. That's why external video processors were born.

Ed