I am looking at buying myself a nice new TV and upsizing from my LG 42LW550T to a 46 to 47 inch model. My budget is approx £1100 though I could creep up to £1300 at a push. I watch a lot of sport and a lot of horror movies so really good motion processing and contrast is important to me. Also because of the layout of y room, a wide viewing angle is a pre-requisite.WHF&TV consistently puts Panasonic plasmas as best buys but I am nervous about this because my room can get a lot of sunlight (even with curtains shut it's not dark in room with direct light), higher energy costs and screens getting images burnt onto them.So any comments from your own experience or advice on 2012/13 46/47 inch models generally would be welcomed and any views on the LED v plasma dilemma would be welcome.Many ThanksDave
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Plasma v LED 46/47 inch TV : Comments and Advice
- Thread starter peatmoor pirate
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Son_of_SJ
Well-known member
Having myself gone from a 42" TV to a 50" TV and then to a 64" TV, and realised that most obervers did not notice each increase in size, I can say categorically that if you are looking to upsize from your existing 42" set, a 46" or 47" replacement would be a complete waste of money, and the difference in size would not be very apparent. From your 42" set, you need to go to at least a 50" or preferably to a 55" to notice the increase in size. If you don't have the room or money for a 50" or 55" set, then save your money and wait until you can afford a noticeably bigger set. Do not buy a 46" or 47" set, that would be an expensive move sideways.
Save money & sit closer.
Plasmas certainly give you an extra radiator. Thwy attract no dust. I suggest checking thwm out in shops in terms of lighting & viewing angles. Surely serious viewing always needs a darkish room. Decent curtains etc. Size matters I concede.
Plasmas certainly give you an extra radiator. Thwy attract no dust. I suggest checking thwm out in shops in terms of lighting & viewing angles. Surely serious viewing always needs a darkish room. Decent curtains etc. Size matters I concede.
Oldboy
Well-known member
Got to disagree with Son_of_SJ on this one as I went from a 42 inch to a 46 and definately noticed the extra screen size (as did my friends) and ir's well worth getting a TV at this or 47 inch, you will notice the increased screen size for sure.
It's true that plasma Tvs run alot hotter than LEDs do and that they can suffer in a bright room and that they can suffer from image retention/burn but then every TV is a compromise in some form because on the other hand you get wide viewing angles and great black levels/detail. An LED will run cooler and not lose picture quality in a bright room and won't suffer from image retention/burn like a plasma but can suffer from narrower viewing angles and loss of black levels/detail, of course all these factors are dependant on the model of TV as some are better than others.
Plasma TVs now mostly use light filters on the glass to get round the problem of viwing in a bright room and various pixel moving technologies and washes to minimise image retention and burn for example and LED TVs now employ various micro dimming technologies to produce better blacks with more detail and various panel designs for greater viewing angles but these technologies are only present at a certain price point.
As for motion processing and contrast any 2013 TV at your price point should be pretty good in this regard and wouldn't be anything to concern yourself about but Sony is generally regarded as having the best motion processing on the market although it should be said that really you would want to avoid needing to engage them in the first place as it introduces all sorts of unwanted picture issues. If the TV is good enough then you won't need to engage any of the motion processing technologies built into TVs so don't get blinded by the technology and concentrate on getting a TV with a good panel. Contrast levels vary a bit on plasma TVs but a good one (like the Panasonic GT60 or VT65) can produce decent punchy whites on par with an LED with no problem although it's true LEDs in general are capable of brighter whites but that doesn't always mean the whites are better detailed.
It can be a bit of a minefield so look at WHF for a few TVs to go out and look at...a good place to start would be Panasonic plasmas such as the GT60 range and Samsung F7000 LED range. There are numerous other suggestions I could make for you as I've recently just completed my search for a new tv but the list would be quite long.
Plasma vs LED is a long running debate that really comes down to your own requirements, what might be right for one person won't necessarily be right for the other so get out there and get auditioning but remember most TVs are set to shop mode to entice you in.
It's true that plasma Tvs run alot hotter than LEDs do and that they can suffer in a bright room and that they can suffer from image retention/burn but then every TV is a compromise in some form because on the other hand you get wide viewing angles and great black levels/detail. An LED will run cooler and not lose picture quality in a bright room and won't suffer from image retention/burn like a plasma but can suffer from narrower viewing angles and loss of black levels/detail, of course all these factors are dependant on the model of TV as some are better than others.
Plasma TVs now mostly use light filters on the glass to get round the problem of viwing in a bright room and various pixel moving technologies and washes to minimise image retention and burn for example and LED TVs now employ various micro dimming technologies to produce better blacks with more detail and various panel designs for greater viewing angles but these technologies are only present at a certain price point.
As for motion processing and contrast any 2013 TV at your price point should be pretty good in this regard and wouldn't be anything to concern yourself about but Sony is generally regarded as having the best motion processing on the market although it should be said that really you would want to avoid needing to engage them in the first place as it introduces all sorts of unwanted picture issues. If the TV is good enough then you won't need to engage any of the motion processing technologies built into TVs so don't get blinded by the technology and concentrate on getting a TV with a good panel. Contrast levels vary a bit on plasma TVs but a good one (like the Panasonic GT60 or VT65) can produce decent punchy whites on par with an LED with no problem although it's true LEDs in general are capable of brighter whites but that doesn't always mean the whites are better detailed.
It can be a bit of a minefield so look at WHF for a few TVs to go out and look at...a good place to start would be Panasonic plasmas such as the GT60 range and Samsung F7000 LED range. There are numerous other suggestions I could make for you as I've recently just completed my search for a new tv but the list would be quite long.
Plasma vs LED is a long running debate that really comes down to your own requirements, what might be right for one person won't necessarily be right for the other so get out there and get auditioning but remember most TVs are set to shop mode to entice you in.
Interesting comments so far folks. 47 inches is as much as I'm going to get away with with the Missus so much as I'd go larger if I could, it aint gonna happen, neither are curtains going to be changed. I guess auditioning is the answer at the end of the day.
Cheers
Dave
Cheers
Dave
If the room you are putting it in is quite bright i would forget plasma as you would get reflections & glare & go for a LED model.
Can't get a 46 inch or 47 inch plasma. Personally I will recommend the Panasonic 42GT60! The people's choice.
it's called compromise. I get a new TV she ghets curtain she wants. Its why I've been married for 24 years
Firstly, get some 'black-out' linings for your curtains, it will make a big difference and they look like any other curtain lining material.
Have you measured the actual space taken up by your existing screen? It may be that, with slimmer bezels, a 50/55 inch won't take up that much extra room. I'll wager that soon after getting a 46/47 inch set you'll wish you went larger.
I have had a Panasonic plasma since HDMI was new and have never suffered from any screen-burn and the set is still working well, although now in the bedroom. I have a more modern Panasonic plasma in the sitting room.
Last week I went to a Currys to see how well LED/LCD panels have progressed, not least because Panasonic now do larger LED sets. Given that all sets are on their over-processed shop mode, there was not one LED set by Samsung, LG, Phillips or Panasonic that matched plasma smoothness in fast action. There were some football sequences that were not brilliant so I don't know how they would cope with the speed of F1 or MotoGP. The LED panels were really good, crisp and clear, but for fast motion, they're not there yet.
Obviously you must let your own eyes decide but the extra watts burnt by a plasma are still, for me, worth it.
Good luck.
Have you measured the actual space taken up by your existing screen? It may be that, with slimmer bezels, a 50/55 inch won't take up that much extra room. I'll wager that soon after getting a 46/47 inch set you'll wish you went larger.
I have had a Panasonic plasma since HDMI was new and have never suffered from any screen-burn and the set is still working well, although now in the bedroom. I have a more modern Panasonic plasma in the sitting room.
Last week I went to a Currys to see how well LED/LCD panels have progressed, not least because Panasonic now do larger LED sets. Given that all sets are on their over-processed shop mode, there was not one LED set by Samsung, LG, Phillips or Panasonic that matched plasma smoothness in fast action. There were some football sequences that were not brilliant so I don't know how they would cope with the speed of F1 or MotoGP. The LED panels were really good, crisp and clear, but for fast motion, they're not there yet.
Obviously you must let your own eyes decide but the extra watts burnt by a plasma are still, for me, worth it.
Good luck.
Son_of_SJ
Well-known member
Oldboy said:
Maybe your friends are more observant than mine, Oldboy! I went from the 42" Pioneer PDP 428XD to the similar-looking 50" Pioneer PDP LX5090 and out of about eight people over the subsequent fortnight, nobody said "Oh, you've got a bigger TV!". Not one single person of my eight friends noticed that the TV was bigger, that's why I say that going from a 42" to a 46" or 47" would be a waste or time and money. However, Oldboy disagrees with me
. May I suggest that you go to a big store like John Lewis, and look at the various sizes of TVs, then you can decide whether a 46" or 47" is a worthwhile increase from a 42", or whether you do indeed have to go to a 50" to really notice the size difference.gel said:Can't get a 46 inch or 47 inch plasma. Personally I will recommend the Panasonic 42GT60! The people's choice.
Eh??? You're usually on the ball, gel! You must have missed the phrase in the initial posting of this thread, peatmoor pirate is lookiing to upsize from his existing 42" set!
Son_of_SJ said:Oldboy said:
Maybe your friends are more observant than mine, Oldboy! I went from the 42" Pioneer PDP 428XD to the similar-looking 50" Pioneer PDP LX5090 and out of about eight people over the subsequent fortnight, nobody said "Oh, you've got a bigger TV!". Not one single person of my eight friends noticed that the TV was bigger, that's why I say that going from a 42" to a 46" or 47" would be a waste or time and money. However, Oldboy disagrees with me
gel said:Can't get a 46 inch or 47 inch plasma. Personally I will recommend the Panasonic 42GT60! The people's choice.
Eh??? You're usually on the ball, gel! You must have missed the phrase in the initial posting of this thread, peatmoor pirate is lookiing to upsize from his existing 42" set!
I think the OP said he can't go bigger than 47 inches, so that leaves plasma out unless he is prepared to stay the same size. So I thought I would recommend the 42 inch plasma over a 47 inch LED, it has to be a better option.
Just replaced my Panasonic 50" 1080P plasma that I bought in May 2007 with a brand new Sony 70" 3D LED smart TV. After all these years of using plasma, I prefer my Panasonic plasma to the Sony in terms of picture quality. LED makes the picture appear grainy and soft compared to plasma. Each time I upgrade, I go for a large upgrade. I went from a Panasonic Tau 32" 1080i CRT to a Panasonic 50" 1080P plasma and then to a Sony 70" 3D LED smart TV. Thats an average of 20" increase in size each time I upgrade.
Ad Nauseam but... remember that we are talking LCD TVs here, back or sidelit by LEDs, they are NOT LED TVs! And I still find no substitute for a Panasonic Plasma TV well set up, period!.. When REAL LED TVs become affordable (Organic Light Emitting Diodes) then we can call them LED TVs.
i went from 37" to 43" and wish i had gone to 50" now doh !! and i have today put curtains up with a blackout lining because the glare was driving me mad :rockout:
i went from 37" to 43" and wish i had gone to 50" now doh !! and i have today put curtains up with a blackout lining because the glare was driving me mad :rockout:
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