Do I need 1080p for my new TV?

[admin_exported]

Hi all

I'm looking at buying a Panasonic Viera TV and am not sure whether I should be going for the 1080p or not. I'm considering the TX32LXD85 (LCD HD Ready) and the TX32LZD85 (LCD HD Ready 1080p).

Would prefer a 37 inch, but have lost that argument with the wife, so settling for a 32 inch...

We're also getting the Panasonic BD35EB blu ray DVD player and already have the Onkyo 606 receiver. The query is, is it worth the extra £230 to get the LZD over the LXD? Will we notice the difference?

Any wisdom gladly received!

Thanks!

 

[professorhat]

At that size, no you don't really need 1080p unless you will be sitting within a couple of feet of the screen. However, that's not to say you shouldn't go for the TX32LZD85 - this may well have a better picture than the TX32LXD85 for reasons other than just the increased resolution. The only way to tell is to compare the two of them I'm afraid (or speak to someone who has compared them both).

 

[Anonymous]

I haven't really checked out the LX32LXD85, I went for the 1080P LZD
model and can vouch for it being a real cracker of a TV. The 1080P
probably doesn't make a massive difference, only incremental. The only
thing I can suggest is that if you do a lot of gaming, those that work
in 1080P might be slightly (only) better as there will be less
pixellation on lines. Having said that, there aren't many 1080P games
out at the moment, at least on the PS3.

All the reviews I've seen for both TVs have been glowing, so I think you'll end up with a great TV either way!

Anyway, the LZD is a belter if you ask me, see my derranged rantings here:

http://whathifi.com/forums/166572/ShowThread.aspx#166572

I'd
say it's a close run thing, but with the £230 difference, I wouldn't
think you'd notice the difference if all the other specs are the same.

I
got mine from Richer Sounds for £629, by the way, and you might be able
to haggle a bit from there, in case that makes a difference in your
decision.

 

[Anonymous]

I have 2 32 inch Panasonics one is 1080p the other is not.

Yes you can tell a small difference some of the time. I'd say get the 1080p set if you can justify the extra budget.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the feedback guys, very helpful. The £230 difference is with John Lewis - £499 vs £730. I know JL are more expensive, but they give you a 5 year warranty in the price and no problems with returns/repairs, so am kind of leaning towards them...

I asked the guy in the store a couple months back about the difference but they didn't have both Panasonics running, but they had the Panasonic LZD and another brand in the LXD equivalent. I couldn't really notice the difference to be honest - except when the start of Coronation Street came on and they showed the map over East London (which makes me think it may have been Eastenders rather than Corry - sorry, I'm a Neighbours fan!!), and you could see an improvement in the LZD, but unfortunately it wasn't comparing 2 Panasonics, so not sure how hepful that was.

Ok, think I might have to crunch the numbers and see if the budget stretches. We don't do a lot of gaming (an x-box or PS3 is yet another argument I keep losing with my wife!), but do watch a lot of movies.

Perhaps I should get the LXD and spend the £230 on learning how to win arguments instead...

 

[Anonymous]

In case it helps your decision, Richer Sounds offer a 5 year warranty for 10% of the cost of the screen, so that would come to £691.90. Do John Lewis still have their Never Knowingly Undersold policy? In which case, you will probably be able to match RS's price.

Shop around - if you go for the LZD, £730 seems a little steep, try and get a price match somewhere.

Either way, bear in mind the £230 difference would get you (a) an XBox 360, (b) a Nintendo Wii, an extra controller and some games the missus can join in with or (c) most of the way to a PS3. Or, to put it another way, it would get you (d) an Xbox 360 and something nice for the wife.

Not an easy decision, but good luck, I'm sure either way, you'll be delighted with your purchase.

And by the way, you've just reminded me that when I started watching Neighbours way back when, that had a map of Erinsborough at the start! It's gone all trendy now.

 

[TKratz]

welshboy:

I have 2 32 inch Panasonics one is 1080p the other is not.

Yes you can tell a small difference some of the time. I'd say get the 1080p set if you can justify the extra budget.

But then again, the difference is most likely due to something else than the resolution. On a 32 inch screen 1080p doesn't make sense. I will guarentee you will be unable to tell the difference between 720p and 1080p on a screen this size.

 

[Anonymous]

Would one start to notice say from 37inch? Or is it only on bigger screen sizes, 46-50inch+?

I'm interested to know too, cos I'm planning on getting the Panasonic 37PX80 which is plasma of course, but not full HD either.

 

[TKratz]

Well, I usually say that you need a 42 inch screen at least before 1080p begin to matter, and it will not make a real difference before you reach 50 inches or larger. But it really very much depends on how far away from your TV you sit.

I will now direct you to a site and sorry, it is in Danish. I haven't found a similar page in English: http://www.flatpanels.dk/fokusartikel.php?subaction=showfull&id=1184685511

I think this is an excellent tool to investigate the optimal seating distance from the TV or to figure out how big a TV you need if you need it in a certain distance.

Let me explain the principle. First you choose which resolution you aim for (720p or 1080p). Then you move the man in front of the TV to the desired distance (and please notice the scale is in meters). At the right the optimal screen size will be displayed for the chosen resolution.

As an example, the optimal viewing distance from a 50 inch TV with a 1080p resolution (and signal) is 2 meters! (around 6.5 feet). That doesn't mean the 1080p picture will be lost if you move further away, but the difference from 720p will be less pronounced and at some stage you will not be able to distinguish the two.