Non ED-related (sorry!) - Please read if you have Panasonic Plasma TH42PX70 TV

[Rowanofski]

To the administrator and everyone else on this forum, I first beg forgiveness for posting this here, but I am not a forum expert and this is the only site I ever attend on a regular forum basis (kudos for the greatest forum ever!). Anyhow, to the sharp end of the stick, my mind is about to explode with research on Plasma vs LCD blah blah blah and just when I thought I had decided, there was ONE FINAL QUESTION (still!). The Panasonic TH42PX70 seems to be the one I want, but just as I was about to click 'buy' online, I noticed that it is apparently NOT flatscreen and does not offer a widescreen (16:9) option.

Seems really wierd, but I've checked in Dixons/Currys and it's true. What I want to know is if the widescreen thing is an issue for anyone? Does it leave those big black strips at the top when watching a film? Is it annoying in any another way - perspective/ratio/squashed people etc? And the flatscreen point too. It looks flatscreen to me, but I understand it can reduce the viewing angle (if the TV is not pointed directly at you) and wondered if anyone with this TV has noticed a problem there?

Any help would be very, very much appreciated!

[Administrator]

Moved to the Lounge

[snorky]

its a telly.

it will add zero to the quality of your life

dont fall for their advertising

[mockney piers]

Good old snorky. Without a telly how can you play Wii bowling or Halo 3 Rocket Race, eh, eh? Tell me that!!

It looks alright to me Rowanofski, what do you mean by not flat screen? It's as flat as you can expect for a plasma screen

1020 x 680 x 97mm

http://www.hdtvtest.co.uk/Panasonic-TH42PX70/Specification.php

[Rowanofski]

Listening to you will add zero to the quality of my life. Not having to watch films in a thin slice of a big screen will take away from the quality of my life having just paid my hard-earned cash. Thanks for your time.

[snorky]

NO one listens to snorky anyway.

This may surprise you all, but Snorkys pad will never be featured on " cribs".

Too many books you see.

I have a PS and play games on my ( curently being upgraded multi gig RAM'd, and 3d Video carded ) spare PC - Medal of Honor Airborne doesnj like anything too primtive and the newly purchased video card give my family PC the blue screen of death

[char1ie]

Go and find one in a shop. Watch it for a while, click it's little buttons, turn the sound up, then go home and order it online if you still want it.

Or go to Richer Sounds at London Bridge and just buy the one that looks the best. I wouldn't order online without seeing it in the flesh.

Charlie

[barrymarshall]

I recently bought this telly http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sony-KDL-40S3000-Widescreen-Bravia-Freeview/dp/B000OQ9W3Q

Absolutely gorgeous and PS3 games look incredible on it. Even regular telly looks stunning. From Amazon it was several hundred quid lower than the RRP.

[*Bob*]

We just upgraded our old cathode ray tube dinosaur - to a brand new cathode ray tube dinosaur.

It cost just over sixpence. Excellent value for some tried and tested technology. Get 'em whilst you can.

[yourmomma]

My dad just bought this telly and its an awesome bit of kit and is both flat and wide (dunno who told you otherwise). He watches mainly SD content and it looks just as good on this as his old crt. You won't be disapointed if you buy it.

Also use this site to find the cheapest prices. http://www.plasma-tv-prices.co.uk/Panasonic/compare-prices.html

[spadetownboy]

if its a new tv it will have a 16:9,4:3 and various other options, which you will be able to change according to taste ie to leave or get rid of letter boxing etc. i would strongly advise you to get the panny,we got the 32" tx32lxd700 a few months ago and combined with sky hd, its just amazing, so amazing that which magazine consistently vote panasonic lcds and plasmas the best on the market.

[*Bob*]

yourmomma Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> My dad just bought this telly and its an awesome

> bit of kit .. it looks just as good on this as his old crt.

Yep - That's progress for you!

[yourmomma]

Yeah but Bob try and find a 40inch widescreen CRT that you can get in your living room.

[*Bob*]

Good point, yourmomma.

Though I must confess that I'm in the Alan Dale school of televisual philosophy, in that anything over 40" has no place in your front room. So I suppose this means your Pa has made an excellent choice.

[Rowanofski]

Cheers Yourmomma. Almost the only direct answer to my actual questions! Though the best Plasma/LCD TVs is an interesting debate which will rage on for hours in any self-respecting forum, I?m sure. Thing is, I know this TV is awesome in picture quality etc and definitely want it, but those two issues just concern me.

On the flatscreen point, I really couldn't see the slightest curve on it in the shop, but the spec definitely says it is not flatscreen, which just bugged me a bit, as I will be watching it from quite a side angle when in my new pad (kitchen is beside the living room), which I do intend to feature on Cribs, thanks Snorky!

For the widescreen ? again it looks the same shape as every other TV, but it apparently doesn?t have that widescreen option (those genius TV salesfolk in the ever prestigious Currys were even very surprised by this, but did confirm it).

Yourmomma, would you do me a big favour and double check you can watch widescreen films on this model with the 16:9 option so you don?t get those black lines on top and below the picture.

[SeanMacGabhann]

Rowanofski

The black lines at the top and bottom are not really the TV's responsibility. Assuming the source is a DVD or even SKY movies, the broadcast may be 1:33, 14:3 or 16:9 - and also anamorphic. Depending on which you will still get black lines sometimes

The TV will have a zoom function to erase that but it looks "wrong"

[*Bob*]

Rowanofski.

RE the 'flat' thing.. I'm sure manufacturers are not allowed to label a screen as 'flat' unless it is 100% geometrically certified flat - this was always true for CRTs.

So it's probably 99.4% flat, but just not geometrically flat. Either way you won't notice the difference. It was always a holy grail to make a CRT tube flatter and flatter, but it would have to be one weird manufacturer who would produce a plasma or LCD screen with any sort of visible curve to the screen.

Regarding widescreen, yes, it can be confusing, but I'm sure your plasma will make the best of all the various format that you receive or play on your screen. And, at present, this is all any set can do - compromise and make the best of the formats. So if you want to watch a film in exactly the same aspect ratio as you see it in the cinema, you will, unfortunately, get those black lines at the top and the bottom.

[yourmomma]

My Dad lives in essex so I can't check at the mo but he hasn't complained about any black lines yet.

However if you look at the specification page on the panasonic website http://www.panasonic.co.uk/plasma-tv/th-42px70wall/index.htm it says; "Aspect Controls Auto/16:9/14:9/4:3/Zoom1/Zoom2/Zoom3" so 16:9 is specifically stated.

When I advised my dad to get that telly he went to have a look at it in currys where the salesman told him that Plasma's needed "topping up" every 2 months, that if you tipped them up all the Plasma would fall out and that LCD's are better!!!!!

So don't beleive anything they tell you.

[Rowanofski]

Ha ha. Those damned hapless goons! Cheers for all the info. :)-D

I think I'm just being a tightass - parting with ?699 in one go is a bitch in my mind (a good ?200 off RRP already), whatever I get in return! My mind is made and the credit card getting dusted down.