Pana 42PZ800 or Sony 40W4500?

[admin_exported]

Would like to go for the 42PZ800 but now I'm second guessing myself. I haven't been able to view these side by side, so I would be interested in opinions of which is the better of the two.

I'll be mainly watching SD (sky+, dvds), with some HD viewing.

 

[Andy Clough]

Well, we've just made the Sony 40W4500 our 2008 TV Product of the Year. Check out our online video here and you'll find out why.

 

[Anonymous]

Have WhatHiFi actually reviewed a model from the PZ800 plasma range?? Cant see one online.

 

[Clare Newsome]

We certainly have tested the Panasonic TH42PZ800 - we tested it side by side with the Sony during Awards judging. Guess the review hasn't made it online yet.

In short: the Panasonic has a slightly better TV tuner, and sounds a little better (by flatscreen TV standards), and is - of course - 2 inches bigger than the Sony (which could be good or bad, depending on your requirements/room).

The Sony equals the Panasonic for smooth motion-handling, with all sources, and is superior for colour-handling - amazingly, it's on a par with black reproduction, but excels for whites and other colours.

The Sony also outperforms the Pana for detail - with DVD and especially Blu-ray.

So, there's your choice: if you want an excellent 40-42in set you intend to watch (and listen to) a lot of Freeview TV on, you may prefer the Panasonic. Otherwise we'd suggest the Sony.

I know, surprising, isn't it? I was sure the Panasonic would win out, but - both fully calibrated - the Sony is the one we all would have taken home.

 

[Anonymous]

Clare Newsome:

We certainly have tested the Panasonic TH42PZ800 - we tested it side by side with the Sony during Awards judging. Guess the review hasn't made it online yet.

In short: the Panasonic has a slightly better TV tuner, and sounds a little better (by flatscreen TV standards), and is - of course - 2 inches bigger than the Sony (which could be good or bad, depending on your requirements/room).

The Sony equals the Panasonic for smooth motion-handling, with all sources, and is superior for colour-handling - amazingly, it's on a par with black reproduction, but excels for whites and other colours.

The Sony also outperforms the Pana for detail - with DVD and especially Blu-ray.

So, there's your choice: if you want an excellent 40-42in set you intend to watch (and listen to) a lot of Freeview TV on, you may prefer the Panasonic. Otherwise we'd suggest the Sony.

I know, surprising, isn't it? I was sure the Panasonic would win out, but - both fully calibrated - the Sony is the one we all would have taken home.

Hi Clare, i though i'd just say hi to the governor around here as a polite new member.

And as you say wow the sony beats plasma on colour i lke it.

 

[Anonymous]

See if you can find the Pioneer PDP-4280XD. It beats the others in contrast and SD performance by miles.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the feedback Clare. I think I will have to go with Sony so!

I will not be using Freeview as I have Sky+. Did you manage to compare the two TVs connected to a Sky SD feed via scart? If so, which came out on top? This is very important for the missus.

 

[Anonymous]

Interesting to read this thread as it concerns the same sets I am considering (plus the cheaper TH37PX80).

Having read many threads and reviews, this would have been the nail in the coffin against the panasonics, yet I read that the viewing angle on the sony is not great and that is an issue for me.

Can you confirm whether this is a mark down for the sony?

Thanks.

 

[Big Aura]

I demo'd the 40W4500 against the Panny PZ81B. The Panny was (at the time) £300 cheaper and had an in-built freesat, but I still went Sony. I found the Sony picture to be a bit smoother - watching a SD white snooker ball roll across the Panasonic screen was painful...

Plus my room is quite bright and (in these climate-change focussed days) the LCD uses less juice!

 

[Anonymous]

TallPerson, I was a life long Panny fan until I bought the 40w4500. Regarding the viewing angles I can't comment about the Panny but the Sony is very good with HD TV, DVD and Blu-Ray. SD TV is also very good providing the content and transmission quality is good. On poorer quality material with my TV/setup the picture degrades after about 45 degrees off axis but I would expect this as with poorer material the colours, contrast, blacks are all worse anyway.

Oh, and if you are going to view one in shop then try and find a dealer who has a dimmed viewing area and adjust the settings accordingly as this will help you determine whether you think there is any backlight bleed or not.

Hope this helps.

 

[Anonymous]

Funny how differnt folk like differnt things i demo'd the panasonic and the sony at SMC in a proper demo and came home with the panasonic...i found the picture so much more natural looking than the sony which to me looked processed but did uncover more detail than the pany but as i sit more than more than 3" from the screen wasnt really an issue...

 

[Anonymous]

Different things to different people, and as I have said on this forum before you need to trust your eyes + ensure you are getting the spec you want for your money.

As an ex-engineer I personally think plasma technology is more suited to video playback as it does not need some of the additional processing or backlighting that LCD requires, but having said that I was completely seduced by the Sony's amazing imagery!

 

[Mickgw]

Cant speak for the Panasonic but i've had the Sony for a week now, i've paired it with the Panasonioc DMP 55 and the Blu Ray performance is staggering, the scene in the Dark Knight where they capture the Joker is unbelievable.

One comment i do have though is that you really do have to consider the backight bleeding and clouding issues, although mine is'nt really bad it is still noticeable, i watched The Strangers last night which is basically dark all the way through and it was getting on my nerves as i was looking for it and i could see the backlight bleeding, lets put it this way i've turned it off the backlight completley

I've contacted Sound and Vision and they informed me that it was a quirk with all LCD TV's and he even invited me to come down to there showroom and he'd show me the problem on all the LCD TV's, however he did say that leave it a couple of weeks and if your still not happy with the TV he'd get Sony to have a look it, as i get a 5 year warranty with the set, he also did say that he had a feeling they would say its within design tollerances, if anyone has any thoughts on this i'd appreciate knowing them.

I got a good price though £895 with a 5 year warranty.

Thanks,

Mike Worrall

 

[Anonymous]

Hi Mickgw, give the set a little time. Things may improve or you make just get more used to it. Having said that, I have had mine 6 weeks now and I swear that the minimal "torches" effect it had is getting better. In fact on some inputs I have increased the backlighting from 3 to 5.