Panny TH-37PX80B - Picture and sound quality of in-store demo

[admin_exported]

I visited Comet and JL at the weekend to view the Panny TH-37PX80B. After a week of extensive reading & research I had decided that this was the TV that best suited my requirements.

However I was very dissapointed with the sound of the set, particularly on a music channel which showed the set to suffer from bass distortion. This occurred on both the set at Comet and the one at JL.

Also, at JL a Panny TX-37LZD800 was right next to the TH-37PX80B. Both were showing a film on Freeview ITV2. The Plasma set occassionaly showed a white stripe at the bottom and right hand side of the screen. This, together with the sound quality has made me question buying this set. I understand that I can pass the audio through my surround sound system but what do you think the deal is with the white line at the bottom and side of the picture ?

Also, the guy in Comet said I should be buying a Full HD 1080 TV, but I had decided that on a 37" TV, with 99% of my viewing being SD, that a HD Ready 720 set would be fine. I'm now confused what to do.

 

[Anonymous]

Your choice in the 37PX80 is a good one... stick to it. I would not listen to anyone in Comet. You will not get the benefit of FullHD on a 37 inch screen unless you watch it really close up (3-4ft away)... you won't be able to tell the difference. With regard to the white lines, no-one else out of the many people who have commented on the 37PX80 have mentioned anything about this. I would hazard a guess at it being the individual set or a dodgy connection. I have the 42PX80, and on some live shows on certain cameras, I will get a really thin line appear on the very edge of the screen, it is usually when a bit of VT is queued to be played. It is kind of like the little thing that used to pop up just before an advert. I have noticed it on my set maybe 4-5 times in 3 weeks of ownership, 3 of those were on BBCs the One Show. If you have decided that 37in is the right size of telly for you.... you will not do better than the Panny 37PX80, and you came to that decision without the help of any Comet staff.... this is a perfect example of them throwing a spanner into the works.... I just feel sorry for the people that listen to them instead of questioning it.

 

[tvmog]

It is very difficult to get a true idea of the picture quality in shops like JL and Comet as many of their TV's are split from a single source feed and thus the quality can be degraded. It is also possible that the PX80 you saw had the picture overscan turned off in which case you will see the occasional artifact around the edges.

The PX80 has various customisable sound settings, so again it is possible that it had not been set up particularly well in the shops. It is an excellent TV for the price and I would say the best option if the majority of your viewing is SD.

 

[John Duncan]

[quote user="jetsetwilly"]Both were showing a film on Freeview ITV2. The Plasma set occassionaly showed a white stripe at the bottom and right hand side of the screen.[/quote]

In my experience, this is usually because the TV is set to the wrong aspect ratio, and is picking up some of the lines which pass information (like Digital Text) along with the transmission.

 

[Anonymous]

[quote user="jetsetwilly"]

Also, the guy in Comet said I should be buying a Full HD 1080 TV, but I had decided that on a 37" TV, with 99% of my viewing being SD, that a HD Ready 720 set would be fine. I'm now confused what to do.

[/quote]

And Comet are of course renowned for turning out geniuses. NOT!

He probably wants to sell you a more expensive TV, Or, a Manufacturer that has HD , but does not sell very well.

If you are going to be watching mostly SD I would not bother with full HD, because SD can look poor on full HD TV's. And in any case, most people think that under 40" you won't see the difference.

 

[Anonymous]

Many thanks for the detailed replies guys - much appreciated.

And thanks for putting my mind at rest that the 37PX80 is a good choice.

To throw another spanner in the works I'm
now very tempted to go that little bit extra and go for the 42". Would you say this
set handles SD just as well as the 37". My viewing distance will
be closet 8ft and furthest 12ft. Although I expect my viewing to be SD for the next few years, no doubt I will upgrade to a Sky HD box and a Blue-ray player in the future. With this in mind I debated if I should be going for a full HD at 42" but after extensive research on the net and this forum in particular I have concluded that full HD at 42" isn't necessary. Would you agree ?

Also, how much of an issue is relfection on plasmas ? The reason I ask is that my set will be facing a window.

(I posted some similar questions here so apologies for double postings)

 

[Anonymous]

When I was looking for a new telly, i was trying to decide between the PX80 and the PZ85. I went for the PX80. Full HD is not worth the extra money, even at 42in... 46 and 50 probably, but then SD would look painful at those screen sizes. I am really impressed with my 42 and I sit about 10ft away. I think for less than a £100 upgrade, the 42 has it over the 37 With regards to reflection, when the sun decides to come out, I used to get reflection issues on my Panny Flat screen CRT. I don't get this with the plasma. I think if you have the sun shining in through your window, you will probably have issues with brightness levels on the screen... solution?... blackout blinds for when you want to use it as a cinema, or find another location for the set. I take it you will be pricematching Sound and Vision Bolton against John Lewis... hint hint

 

[tvmog]

A lot will depend on your viewing habits. I auditioned the 42 inch full HD 85 model with the same bluray source as the 37inch PX80. The 1080/24 picture was superior on the full HD model. In the other HD input formats there was no real difference, and in SD format I felt that the 37 inch looked better. (I didn't actually compare the 37 and 42 inch PX80's on the grounds that if I was going to squeeze in a 42 inch it may as well be full HD. I eventually went for the 37 inch but mainly on issues of room space and budget)

 

[FuzzyinLondon]

[quote user="jetsetwilly"]
Many thanks for the detailed replies guys - much appreciated.

And thanks for putting my mind at rest that the 37PX80 is a good choice.

To throw another spanner in the works I'm
now very tempted to go that little bit extra and go for the 42". Would you say this
set handles SD just as well as the 37". My viewing distance will
be closet 8ft and furthest 12ft. Although I expect my viewing to be SD for the next few years, no doubt I will upgrade to a Sky HD box and a Blue-ray player in the future. With this in mind I debated if I should be going for a full HD at 42" but after extensive research on the net and this forum in particular I have concluded that full HD at 42" isn't necessary. Would you agree ?

[/quote]

Yes, I'd agree. The 42PX80 sounds ideal for your viewing distance and doesn't cost much more than the 37" model. Close up the 37" has a slightly sharper SD pic but this is due to the set having nearly the same number of pixels squeezed into a smaller area. At 8-12ft this will not be an issue and I'm sure you will be very happy with the picture quality. It handles HD really well and from 8ft away Full HD won't have much benefit, like you say.

 

[Anonymous]

Hi

Anyone know when the 80/85 series is coming to the Africa and Middle East markets?

Thx

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks again for your opinions. All very much appreciated and taken on board.

HD
Ready it is then rather than Full HD. I just need to decide if 42" is too big for the room or
not. I've made a cardboard cut out to the dimensions of the 42" to get some idea of how it would fit, so will have to look at that again tonight - sad aren't I !

I'll post back when I get the set I eventually decide on and post my thoughts. Thanks again.