How does the Panasonic TH37PX70 rate?

[admin_exported]

Hi all - I'm making my first foray into grown-up TV buying and just seem to be going round in circles trying to decide which is the best buy. All my budget roads seem to lead to the Panasonic TH37PX70 (or TH42PX70) and I just wanted expert opinions on how this TV rates in the real world.

What I'm originally looking for is a big plasma screen that I can stick on the wall and is HD ready and Digital ready. We don't spend hours in front of the TV but tend to watch a lot of DVDs and Sky movies as well as play the Wii. I assumed all these TVs were widescreen but I see in the Dixon's list of specs that it isn't - is this a problem or would I be able to live with it?

Any advice or help in any direction would be greatly appreciated.

Nobby

 

[Anonymous]

They're both widescreen. All plasmas are. It's taken for granted so generally they don't need to say on the spec sheet. Like all cars are hardtops these days unless they specifically say, cabrio! ;-)

Either Panny screen will be fab. They're two of the very best. Especially good value online. Use www.kelkoo.co.uk to find the best price.

 

[D.J.KRIME]

Both good screens but I would go for the 42"" over the 37"" as it is only about £100 more and always better to have that little bit more screen to watch.

 

[Anonymous]

I do actually think the picture on the TH37PX70 is superior to that on the 42inch version especially for bog standard Plug and Play Standard Definition SKT or FREEVIEW. Nice picture!

 

[stevee1966]

I've just bought and am awaiting dlivery of the 42" version. Dixons website have some good prices (add the promo codes at the checkout page to get extra £25 or £50 off) :-

TV only - £749 (£724 with code SAVE25)

TV and wall mount - £815 (£790 with code SAVE25)

TV with table top stand - £829 (£804 with code SAVE25)

TV with floor stand - £969 (£919 with code SAVE50)

 

[Anonymous]

Excellent work. Thanks chaps. These are exactly the no-nonsense answers
I've been looking for. I also notice that Dixons have free standard
delivery. And they offer up to 4% cashback if you go through one of
those cashback shopping sites.

I do have one other question -
when the machine is fastened to your wall, what do you do with all the
wires? Do they just have to hang down or is there a tidy way of dealing
with them? A friend mentioned he reckons you can get a wireless control
box which means you can put your DVD, video, Sky box etc somewhere else
and have all the signals sent remotely, but I can't find this anywhere.
Does it exist or is he pulling my leg?

Nobby

 

[Anonymous]

The professional way is that you mount the wall bracket in whichever of the multitude of styles you've gone for and then channel out (or chase if you're up on builders lingo) the wall to burry the cables in the plaster. You basically need to include every cable you'll ever want to connect to the screen as you can't get back in there to insert a new cable without doing a lot of damage and having to re-decorate.

Obviously it's easier if you are wallpapering, as you can fill in the channel with pollyfillar and sand it back flat. If you're painting you'll need to fill and then skim the last few mm with multifinish plaster. To get a result you can't see, you'll need to ask someone who really knows what they're doing to help you.

The other option is that you take the cables right through the wall to the room behind (if there is one) and down and back in to your av rack / cupboard / unit. This avoids you having to chase the wall out.

There are concealing plastic trunking solutions to surface mount your cables but if you're going to wall mount, then the above is how to do it properly.

ps. If you do decide to chase the wall out and bury the cables. Make sure they are in a jacket so that the filler (whichever you use and electricians often mix up a bit of sand and cement before plastering over) can corrode the rubber jackets and eventually damage the cables. So make sure they are in a tube of some sort before pugging them in!

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks Will. That's depressed me no end.

We've just finished decorating the whole house and don't want to start
again. The job actually included having all the walls chased out to
make way for the whole house being rewired.

I think I'll have to buy a stand.

 

[Anonymous]

Hee hee hee hee. I'm sorry. It's a right bummer. But look, you've been through the pain. If it's your house then go through some more pain and get the wires buried in the wall. It will blow the socks off the look of having it on a pedestal stand. They're not bad, but wall mounting is sexy in another league. Bite the bullet!