Samsung le40b550 or Panasonic 42x10 opinions ?

[admin_exported]

Hi,. I'm looking at buying one of these 2 TVs - Samsung 40b550 or Panasonic 42x10.

I know the panasonic is only 720p where as the Samsung is 1080p but I would like some opinions on picture quality, will the Panasonic being a plasma give me a better all round picture than the samsung Lcd even though it has a lower resolution.

I currently own a Sony Bravia 40v3000 which is 1080p but I have had a few problems with clouding and vertical banding and before this I had a Samsung Lcd which had dead pixel problems. I seem to hear a lot less of people having problems with Plasma which is why I'm considering the Panasonic even though it's only 720p.

Both Tv's can be had for around the same price so I'm just looking for some opinions as to whether it would be worth changing over to plasma at a lower resolution or sticking to 1080p lcd ?

I'll be using the TV with SkyHD and Blu-Ray and am not intersted in gaming.

I'm not looking for someone to make the decision for me but would value someone else's opinion.

Thanks

 

[Anonymous]

Received my LE40B550 on the strength of recent reviews and it is superb and absolutely cracking value for money (£525)! it was definately a step up from my 3 yr old HD Ready 40" Samsung LCD, even on the SD content. Couldnt comment on the Panasonic Plasma,but I'm glad I've changed from HD Ready to Full HD tv. this is not just because of the fantastic pictures you get with BluRay, but also the improvement in the handling of SD over the air pictures. I know that generally the Plasma format handles motion better than LCD (or at least used too!), but this months WHF Supertest is a good comprison with all the LCD's easily outperforming the Panasonic Plasma.

watching the rugby over the weekend, the close up views were very good and it only suffered from a lack of definition on wider shots. I think this is ultimately down to the quality of the signal and SD resolution rather than refresh rate. Feed it a HD signal (as it was designed for) and the picture is top notch, in my opinion. depending on the programme and channel, some of the SD images are a match in terms of quality to the HD over the airwaves content.

I got the Samsung along with my first BluRay player (BDP-S360) and the Full HD picture is excellent. everthing is so clear and colours vibrant. there is none of that 'blocking' and skin tones and dark shadowed scenes are faultess. Again, for only £95, it is difficult to find any issues and can see why it has been the WHF Best Budget BluRay for so long. I find that now I just spend time enjoying whatever BluRay film, rather than just seeing all the faults with the image and moaning about the picture quality as I previoulsy did with my old tv.

if budget is a big consideration, you cant go far wrong with the LE40B550

 

[Anonymous]

Hi, thanks foe the reply,

At the moment I have a Sony 40v3000 which is 1080p so I suppose going to a 720p would seem like a step backwards but I'm trying not to play the numbers game because as with digital cameras - higher resolution doesn't always mean better picture.

The Super Test in this months mag really made me take note of the Samsung but I still have worries about the reliability issues with Lcd compared to Plasma.

I have Sky HD but I've cancelled Movies and Sports so my only HD content is Sky1HD, DiscoveryHD etc.

I know my budget is really small but I'm the kind of person who if only spending £1 likes to make sure I'm getting the best I can for that pound.

At my budget these 2 Tvs seem to be the best Lcd and Plasma, I just can't decide where my money would be best spent.

 

[Anonymous]

the plasma will handle motion better , therefore being better for sports , and will have an arguably more natural picture , the samsung will look sharper with hd , and reveal more detail , but wont look as good with sd , if most of your viewing is done in a dark , or nearly dark room , the plasma will look good , but under lighting , the lcd would look better ..

these are a few things to bear in mind , also , having a full hd tv will probably be better in the long term , you may get the sports and movies back ? , either tv is a good buy moneywise ...

 

[landzw]

Well i was after the panny 42X10 but there was one thing that changed my mind and that was the power consumption , as my tv is on 95% of the time when someone is home and i work shifts and have a little one aged 2 the Tv is getting used a lot .

I ended up with the le40b550 before there was a review done on it anywhere in the world and i was worried it wasn't going to provide a good picture and if i had done the right thing , after setting it up and running it for a few weeks all my fears have gone away .

 

[landzw]

I was thinking about this last night and its actually catch 22 . The Panny maybe a lower spec when it comes to resolution but its still a better Tv if your going to watch sports or play Blu Ray

But the samsung is still a good Tv , though i found when using a blu ray its not a good Tv , its actually annoying , i borrowed a sony 360 blu ray player and watched a couple of films and the motion stutter was mental to a point i ruined the films

When i played a dvd its an awesome picture and very smooth , when i watch broadcasted HD content there was a few times of motion stutter but nothing serious enough to upset the viewing of the program

Gaming is also a hit and miss , some games are ok and there isn't any blurring but take something like resident evil and your having to look around a lot then there is signs of motion blur ,you can get around this if it annoys you to much by lowering the resolution but then that defeats the object of having 1080p

If your looking to play loads of blu ray's then i would't recommend the le40b550 , but if your planning to use sky HD and carry on using dvd's then its a cracking Tv

 

[Anonymous]

Landzw - did you say you experienced serious motion stutter with the LE40B550 and Sony 360 Blu-ray player? This is the exact set up I have and it is perfect, no signs of stutter. Not sure if any of your settings can affect this aspect, but I am surprised as the Samsung is a Full HD, 24fps tv.

Nick

 

[Andrew Everard]

Have to say we didn't encounter such problems when testing for the Supertest in the current issue...

 

[Anonymous]

landzw - thanks for your opinion, much appreciated.

I'm still in two minds, I think at this price range these Tvs are definitely my best options.

I really like the high contrast and deep blacks that you get with Plasma, my only concern is "Image Retention" as I have 2 young boys who watch a lot of the cartoon channels on Sky (they nearly all have horribly bright logos in th corner of the screen). Oh and my living room is also quite bright. ?

When I think about it, I don't really watch that much actual HD content but like you say that might change in the future.

It really makes more sense for me to stick with Lcd and in that respect the Samsung would be my choice but I've got a little devil on my shoulder called "Plasma" that keeps whispering - "Pick Me, Pick Me"

 

[simonlewis]

If your living room is quite bright & your watching cartoons with logo's you may be best looking at LCD, plasma is best watched in a slightly dimmed room.

 

[Anonymous]

landzw:
I was thinking about this last night and its actually catch 22 . The Panny maybe a lower spec when it comes to resolution but its still a better Tv if your going to watch sports or play Blu Ray

But the samsung is still a good Tv , though i found when using a blu ray its not a good Tv , its actually annoying , i borrowed a sony 360 blu ray player and watched a couple of films and the motion stutter was mental to a point i ruined the films

When i played a dvd its an awesome picture and very smooth , when i watch broadcasted HD content there was a few times of motion stutter but nothing serious enough to upset the viewing of the program

Gaming is also a hit and miss , some games are ok and there isn't any blurring but take something like resident evil and your having to look around a lot then there is signs of motion blur ,you can get around this if it annoys you to much by lowering the resolution but then that defeats the object of having 1080p

If your looking to play loads of blu ray's then i would't recommend the le40b550 , but if your planning to use sky HD and carry on using dvd's then its a cracking Tv
motion stutter , or motion blur , would be on all sources , or not , its not specific to blu-ray ...

 

[Anonymous]

slewis - Your right, Lcd is more suited to my needs/situation. I think I've always known this which is why I've always gone for Lcd in the past.

I just really like the deep, warm pictures that you get with Plasma. I suppose I could brick-up my windows and sell my kids on ebay thus giving me more money to buy an even better Plasma !!!!!........................................

looks like I'm sticking with Lcd then.

Thanks for your advice guys.

 

[landzw]

I watched dark knight and quantum of solace and there were area's that the stutter was pretty bad , For gaming blurring seems more prone and have not seen a stuttering but then in games its less likely that the camera will pan across the screen

The thing is once you pic up on stuttering you end up looking for even the smallest amounts so maybe its me ( and don't say yes it is ) But i know i don't look for it so much now when watching HD channels a few months on

 

[PIPPI]

maxflinn:landzw:

I was thinking about this last night and its actually catch 22 . The Panny maybe a lower spec when it comes to resolution but its still a better Tv if your going to watch sports or play Blu Ray

But the samsung is still a good Tv , though i found when using a blu ray its not a good Tv , its actually annoying , i borrowed a sony 360 blu ray player and watched a couple of films and the motion stutter was mental to a point i ruined the films

When i played a dvd its an awesome picture and very smooth , when i watch broadcasted HD content there was a few times of motion stutter but nothing serious enough to upset the viewing of the program

Gaming is also a hit and miss , some games are ok and there isn't any blurring but take something like resident evil and your having to look around a lot then there is signs of motion blur ,you can get around this if it annoys you to much by lowering the resolution but then that defeats the object of having 1080p

If your looking to play loads of blu ray's then i would't recommend the le40b550 , but if your planning to use sky HD and carry on using dvd's then its a cracking Tv
motion stutter , or motion blur , would be on all sources , or not , its not specific to blu-ray ...
Maxflinn people don't understand how a Tv works. If I showed you a movie with the screen flasing at 24 times a second , then the same film at 50 times per second, which one do you think you would prefer. 24p is about cinematic slightly flickering quality.

 

[PIPPI]

Sky HD and DVD is at 50Hz, Bluray 24Hz. They work at a different frame rate.

 

[Anonymous]

im not sure why a b550 should look so bad , as described , when playing a bluray , it can handle 24p like all the latest tvs , i had a b650 for a while , and i didnt notice very bad judder , even with 100hz off , apart from the usual slow panning judder , that you get with nearly all tvs ...

 

[landzw]

PiPPA if that was directed at me about some people don't know how a Tv works , i have good understanding of the basics but by the looks of things thats all you have .

It also doesn't just because it says it can do something on the side of the tin it can do it well even some of the more expensive Tv's are failing to do what they claim to do

 

[Anonymous]

landzw - I checked out the review on other forum and that comes to the same conclusion as What HiFi in that the Samsung is a fantastic Lcd for the price.

In their Pros/Cons though, one of the cons is - " you can buy a budget Plasma for not much more " . This implies that a budget plasma would be a better buy or that the reviewer just favours plasma.

This goes back to my reason for starting this post -

If everything regarding room condition, lighting, viewing distance etc was equal and the same Blu ray was playing on both Panasonic plasma and Samsung Lcd, what would most people be more impressed by -

1. Panasonic 42x10 high contrast, natural colours and smooth motion ?

or

2. Samsung 40b550 superior 1080p resolution ?

 

[Anonymous]

why not up your budget a tad , and get a full hd plasma ?? there is a full hd samsung , which i believe is called b550 too ,that is very cheap , and you have the panny g10 , if you can find one ...

 

[Anonymous]

maxflinn - that seems like the obvious solution but I really can't up my budget at the moment.

My Sony 40v3000 cost me £830 and thats only lasted me 2yrs so if I spend any more I'll have to face the consequences........I call her my wife !

I think I'm going to have to try and see both Tvs in action and see if I could live with the X10 only being 720p because I really want to give plasma a go.

I don't want to wait until I've saved a bit more cash neither because I cant stand watching my current Sony with the problems it has, I'm just wasting £10 a month by paying SkyHD subs and not getting the benefit of a quality picture.

 

[Anonymous]

in that case , i think the x10 makes sense , it has less upscaling to do with sd , you wont have any motion problems , deep blacks , a natural picture , the only drawback is its 720p , but whfi say that shouldnt put you off , hd still looks great , and it is a great price .

 

[lobby]

Ive got a Samsung lcd and for me it was the wrong choice, i found it bright with unatural colours and difficult to set up, great with blu-ray and very sharp, but when i saw my brother's Panny plasma i wish i got one of them. My advice is to check your light levels and viewing angles before buying and go and view them side by side if poss. The Panasonic range is now being updated so finding the model you want may be difficult, although if your lucky a good deal may be around the corner, try and get full hd if you can i know some say it's not that important, but you want the best you can get and probably won't upgrade again until 3d is well established.I would go for the 42g10.

http://www.tec7.co.uk/Plasma-TVs.aspx

 

[Anonymous]

nicholasc1585 Where did you get the samsung for only £525???... i can only find it at £550+.... want to get one this weekend

Kev

 

[Anonymous]

lobby:
Ive got a Samsung lcd and for me it was the wrong choice, i found it bright with unatural colours and difficult to set up, great with blu-ray and very sharp, but when i saw my brother's Panny plasma i wish i got one of them. My advice is to check your light levels and viewing angles before buying and go and view them side by side if poss. The Panasonic range is now being updated so finding the model you want may be difficult, although if your lucky a good deal may be around the corner, try and get full hd if you can i know some say it's not that important, but you want the best you can get and probably won't upgrade again until 3d is well established.I would go for the 42g10.

http://www.tec7.co.uk/Plasma-TVs.aspx
i doubt if tec7 actually has many of those panny plasmas in stock , they are hard to find right now....

 

[Anonymous]

Kev - got mine from Amazon - see link

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Samsung-LE40B550A5-Widescreen-Crystal-Freeview/dp/B001UE8LW4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1267198977&sr=1-1