Panasonic or Panasonic

[Haggy792]

I'm looking for a spare TV and would like an opinion on whether I should go for last years TX-P50S30 or this years TX-P50X50B as both cost about the same amount but last years is 1080p and this years is only 720p, though this years set looks aesthetically better as the bezel is much smaller.

 

[professorhat]

What's going to be your main use of it i.e. standard TV, Freeview HD / Sky HD, Blu-ray, gaming etc.?

In terms of features, looks like the TX-P50S30 has Viera Connect (for things like iPlayer, YouTube etc.) whereas the newer TX-P50X50 has an SD card slot allowing you to playback photos, videos and music from these. Both have built-in Freeview HD tuners.

If it's all about the picture quality, I'd recommend trying to go and see them before you purchase.

 

[Haggy792]

Thanks for the response, I'll be using the TV for just watching standard and Freeview HD, I plan to wait till the new VT50-55 is out to get that as my main TV, though reading this afternoons review of the Samsung UE46ES8000, I was a little surprised it rated so highly "Class Leader"???, I though the picture quality of last years 2011 model was frankly garbage, so this has to be miles better to be worthy of the laurels as TV to beat.

 

[bigboss]

Also look at the ST50 & GT50 both of which have received excellent reviews.

 

[professorhat]

Thanks for the response, I'll be using the TV for just watching standard and Freeview HD, I plan to wait till the new VT50-55 is out to get that as my main TV

The main reason for the question was to see if you were going to benefit massively from 1080p rather than the lower resolution. If standard def TV is your main use, then I'd say probably not, but obviously Freeview HD will benefit. However, I think you'd be better off going to see all the TVs playing standard broadcast TV as the resolution is only one (little) part of the story.

So is this a spare room TV given you're planning to get the VT50-55 as the main TV?

 

[Haggy792]

Yes it's for the open plan kitchen/dining/sitting area, I'm moving house and want to upgrade my current TVs which at 42" & 37" feel a little small now and as you can get a decent 50" for £500 its a bit of a no brainer

 

[bigboss]

If you queue in tonight for Unilet sale starting tomorrow, you can probably get your hands on a brand new 50 inch GT30 for £499 (they have only 1 in stock at that price):

http://www.whathifi.com/forum/hot-deals/unilet-sound-vision-sale-bargains

 

[Haggy792]

Now you have made me need something I never thought I wanted, there must be a word for that (other than greed).

Alas I live up north so the trip to deepest Surrey is out of the question for tomorrow, I may have to cut pictures of the GT30 out of magazines and just obsess about what could have been.