LCD vs Plasma - Panasonic adds a new slant

[admin_exported]

I realise there has been lots of debate over this one and on the whole, as a newbe looking into buying a new flat TV for the first time, I am biased towards plasma from what I have read BUT Panasonic have really brought this one to a head for me.

On the one hand we have the TH-37PX7B - a highly rated plasma with an HD ready label and 1,024 x 720 resolution. On the other we have the new TX-37LZD70 a full HD 1,920 x 1,080 LCD screen. Now I only sit at a 2.5m viewing distance so 37" is the absolute maximum I can get away with. So the question is - which one of these 2 would YOU spend your money on and why? I rarely buy a TV (once every 8-9 years or so) so I am keen to get one which future proofs me as much as possible (am I answering my own question here?). Opinions please?

 

[Clare Newsome]

We will be publishing the results of a side-by-side test of the two Panasonic 37in sets - Full HD LCD and HD Ready plasma - in our Awards issue, out in three weeks' time...

 

[D.J.KRIME]

My bet is the Plasma will come out on top.

Some interesting facts on the Plasma vs LCD debate here, http://www.plasma-lcd-facts.co.uk/

 

[SouthaK]

I'm with DJ Krime (in a purely platonic sense, I'm not one of his Krime homies) but I have a feeling this review will ask more questions than it answers.

It's all very well comparing HD sources displayed on these screens, but I would ascert that most of us still spend most of our time watching regular SD TV or upscaled sources on our flatscreens. I find that most WHFS&V TV reviews tend to gloss over this in an effort (within the limited magazine space available) to quickly get to the eulogy's about a screens stunning performance with HD sources etc...

I'm looking forward to this review but I would like to see something a little more in-depth than the standard 200 word supertest review summarys, particulalrly in this test where the Full HD set's ability (or lack of) with SD sources could well be a crucial factor.



The man, the mystery - SouthaK

 

[Anonymous]

Hi Clare

What's the exact date of release of the issue containing the review ? It's not on the shelves yet is it ? I have just short of a grand waiting to be spent....

Regards

Ray

 

[Anonymous]

I think it's out today (Thursday 18th).

 

[Andy Clough]

Yes indeed, the 2007 Awards issue goes on sale today, so rush on down to the shops folks!

 

[D.J.KRIME]

No big supprises (well not here anyway) that in the Awards issue that 37"" and above it is a clean sweep for Plasma with not a single LCD in sight. Now who said that Plasma was dead???

 

[Anonymous]

I'll be interested to read this, since my own side-by-side comparison on Sunday suggested the LCD was quite a bit better, which I admit I was surprised by. It was the first LCD I've seen with no motion jigger (admittedly not a huge range of content on it).

 

[Clare Newsome]

In our opinion, the LCD is good - but the plasma is better with a wide range of sources and content. Factor in the extra cost of the LCD, and our money would be firmly behind the plasma....

 

[Anonymous]

If you are looking for primised comparison between LCD 37LZD70 and Plasma 37PX70, its not there. A big disappointment, especially because it was promised we would have it.

 

[Clare Newsome]

[quote user="Clare Newsome"]
We will be publishing the results of a side-by-side test of the two Panasonic 37in sets - Full HD LCD and HD Ready plasma - in our Awards issue, out in three weeks' time...

[/quote]

As you'll see here, I promised the results of our side-by-side test - the result being the plasma is our 37in TV of the year in the Awards issue, with explanation as to why it's the best.

Apologies for there not being a full review of the LCD (yet), but the First Test section was already finalised when it arrived in our test rooms - but we did have a chance to fully rev it up and do an extensive A-B with the plasma before finalising the Awards themselves.

 

[Anonymous]

I sure I'm one of many people trying to decide whether to buy the Panasonic TH-37PX70 plasma or their new TX-37LZD70.

I had heard elsewhere that What HiFi were doing a comparative review of these two TV's but having just traced through this thread I'm not sure whether you actually have done such a "head to head" review.

Can you confirm there is a review devoted to just these two panasonic models, and if you have, is it available in the current issue, (ie in the shops now on 18th Oct 07) or when will it be published ?

Thanks

 

[Clare Newsome]

OK, to clarify.

Yes, we did do a thorough head-to-head review of the two TVs - but due to 1001 space/time issues, it's not published in that way.

The 37PX70 is featured in the current Awards issue as our 37in Product of the Year, as in our opinion it's a superior set to its LCD sibling - especially for motion-handling and contrast. The full review of the LCD will appear in our next issue - it's an excellent set, and one of the best LCDs we've seen, but our money would still be on the plasma.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks for that clarification.....looking forward to reading both reports when they're available.

 

[Clare Newsome]

Whisper it quietly, but i'm thinking of putting the Pana LCD review up here before we publish it in the magazine - as we've already revealed the result! Watch this space....

 

[Anonymous]

No need for whispering, half of forums were expecting those reviews based on the promise and all should rightly feel cheated now. To keep the word and save the honour, What-HiFi should either publish the side by side reviews here in next 2-3 days or should buy us all a round of good old Earl Grey tea.

 

[Anonymous]

Have to admit, I do feel a little cheated. I accept that you have decided that the Plasma is the better bet, but given my own observations to the contrary last weekend, I am interested to know precisely what you prefer about the Plasma. (i.e. whether I've missed something that I need to know about, or whether we simply disagree). From earlier posts on this forum I thought the awards issue would shed light on this, but it hasn't. It would be nice to have the review posted here. Thanks in advance.

 

[D.J.KRIME]

Again Plasma reigns supreme over LCD.

 

[Anonymous]

Maybe it does with the wide range of content tested by the WHFSV team, but that's not what it looked like when I had the guy in the shop move the LCD so I could spend an hour staring at them side by side.

 

[D.J.KRIME]

Ah the test of a LCD vs Plasma on the shop floor. Trust me Flower this is not the way to compare the 2 as (ask the whathifi team if you dont believe me) a LCD will apear to look beter on a well lit shop floor over a Plasma due to the way the 2 differ in the way that they work. A LCD often has a higher brightness over a Plasma but a far lower contrast ratio giving a brighter image on a shop floor but a shop floor is not where you sit down to watch your movie etc now is it?

Put the 2 sets side by side in a proper audition room and see what you think. Run your fave dvd and see which is better. I think you may just sway your opionion firmly towards Plasma.

 

[Anonymous]

Hey guys lets not give What Hifi too much of a hard time about not publishing this one comparison as they always do a great job. My question though is in regard to the Panasonic 32" LXD700 LCD and not the 37". I was wondering if the off air pictures were better on this 32" Panny than they were on the 37" PX70 Plasma?

 

[Anonymous]

I personally think they're much better on the TH37PX70 but then again I do prefer Plasma over the cold and clinical looking pictures of LCD anyway. Plasma has lovely warm and rich colours and obviously with HD the detail is absorbing. Even so on some sets SD is also very good and can comes close to CRT

 

[Anonymous]

[quote user="monkey023"]
Hey guys lets not give What Hifi too much of a hard time about not publishing this one comparison as they always do a great job.

[/quote]
Not sure why you think they are doing a great job. I do not doubt that they have a great fun while testing all that equipment though. But poetical presentation of results in 30+ sentences more suits masses than people who are looking for more thorough technical analyses. Just look at the sites like trustedreviews.com and you will see what testing really is. Reasons for giving them a "hard time" are not in the fact that we expected spectacular comparative reviews of two sets, that would have never happened anyway. It is simply about keeping the promise which should compensate for those 4 quid per head.

 

[Anonymous]

Any chance of getting this 'promised' review on the site soon?
I'm down to 10 days within my return policy on the LZD70. I'm
only watching Freeview for now and was wondering if I'd get a better
result with the plasma. I did prefer the HD clarity of the LCD at John
Lewis, but couldn't decide which color I preferred.

thanks

-jelharou