Panasonic PZ81 advice needed please.

[admin_exported]

Hi all,

I'll shortly be buying a new HD set and want to re-use my old Sky dish for BBC, ITV HD. Panasonic will be bringing out their PZ81 range and it would logically be an evolution of the PZ80. This is backed up by the handy guide to deciphering the product range gobbledygook published on this forum back in April..... "81 - 80 range but with built-in Freesat receivers".

A product comparison on the Panasonic website suggests that the PZ81 has the same spec as the PZ85 series. The website appears to be down at the moment so I can't quote which specs line up however does anyone know what the real story is ?

thanks

 

[Clare Newsome]

'Gobbledygook?'

Just exactly what Panasonic was telling us at the time!

But it's obviously changed its mind about which sets to build the receivers into - I suspect so it can more easily justify the price premium.

As you'll see from our story earlier this week (here), the '81 sets released so far do indeed follow the higher-end spec of the '85 series, with features such as Intelligent Frame Creation.

Until we've tested them (which is imminent) and compare them to their siblings (80, 85 and 800) it will be impossible to assess whether that premium's worth it, however.

 

[Anonymous]

Cheers Clare,

By "gobbledygook", I meant that the manufacturers....not just Panasonic... appear to name their ranges by dipping their hands into the scrabble bag and then adding last week's lottery numbers. From what I have been able to work out, calling the new range the PZ86 would have made more sense.

On paper, does the PZ81 promise the picture and sound quality of the PZ85 ?

FS

 

[Clare Newsome]

Without the specs to hand on a Saturday night.... it seems they are the same set but with different receivers. We'll know more when we test them side-by-side.