This months TV giant test

[Anonymous]

This recent Giant TV test here was the finest review I have seen on HD TVs in the UK and I read loads and from other journalist pickings other than just What Hi fi....as from the diversity of opinion emerges the truth!

Firstly, Samsung can make better Plasma than Panasonic as the stock of knowledge out there suggest.It's all the more remarkable when Samsung also make LED and LCD TVs en mass. I would go with a Samsung Plasma and save money over a Panasonic for now.The rating on the Panasonic TV in this review was fair.I still think they look dull.

What makes the headline for me from the review is how there was two awards granted for the cheaper and higher 40 inch TVs. A very good move as the Philips and Samsung are clearly the best sets if money was no objective and would have left the Sony Third.That would not have been right.No.

Even if the Philips and Samsung are construed to be the best sets for now... it is 'best' as considered in degree and not in absolute terms. I notice there was none of the audacious pesudo 3D image praise lavished on the 2D Philips....and I didn't expect it as a true 3D set like the samsung was in presence and would have put paid to all that jazz.

At less than half of the the R.R.P cost of the others, the Sony did exceptional, exceptional!! Just goes to show how good the set can be even without LED or localised dimming! This set is almost dubbed as 'W5810 series 2' and it is in many ways it has all the innards of the W5810 and more.

The brushed alumimium fnish on the set is tackly to say the least, but a minor point.

When you have a formula that works, why change it...indeed.

You can't help to think that the true undisputed winner was the Samsung and been the most upto date and high tech!! I would pick that to buy and be content for the next 5 years.

 

[Sky Explorer]

I'm sill a little confused about the rating regarding perfromance per pound. I can hear what the editors are saying that in their opinon the Sony had a better picture and is £200 cheaper. However in my earlier post ( I know its not regarding the 40/42 review in the latest mag but is regarding the pound per performance rating) but how can What Hi-Fi justify a £2200 46inch Philips TV, it may well be a great TV with a great picture, but it's nearly £1000 more expensive than the competition. So surely this should have effected the rating if perfomance per pound is taken into consideration.

Otherwise when say the Sony KDL-46EX503 is reviewed and it gets 5 stars like it's smaller sister the 40 which was reviewed in the latest mag, then it means The Sony got 5 stars, oh and the Philips TV that is nearly £1000 more also got 5 stars.

I guess what I am trying to say is money did not seem an issue when reviewing the Philips TV so can't understand why it was mentioned in the Panny review and why it was used to dock a star. Sure if the picture is not a good then that is a fair point and reason.

 

[Simon Lucas]

tdm34:In the AV industry but not telling where!

Go on, do tell. The outcome of our office sweepstake depends on it.

 

[Andrew Everard]

Simon Lucas:tdm34:In the AV industry but not
telling where!
Go on, do tell. The outcome of our office
sweepstake depends on it.
And not only to satisfy Simon's winning-lust - if you don't comply with House Rules very soon, you will be banned.

 

[Clare Newsome]

Sky Explorer:
I'm sill a little confused about the rating regarding perfromance per pound. I can hear what the editors are saying that in their opinon the Sony had a better picture and is £200 cheaper. However in my earlier post ( I know its not regarding the 40/42 review in the latest mag but is regarding the pound per performance rating) but how can What Hi-Fi justify a £2200 46inch Philips TV, it may well be a great TV with a great picture, but it's nearly £1000 more expensive than the competition. So surely this should have effected the rating if perfomance per pound is taken into consideration.

Otherwise when say the Sony KDL-46EX503 is reviewed and it gets 5 stars like it's smaller sister the 40 which was reviewed in the latest mag, then it means The Sony got 5 stars, oh and the Philips TV that is nearly £1000 more but has a similar if not better picture quality also got 5 stars.

As an earlier answer in this thread explains, the premium sets - such as the Philips and Samsung in this test - far outperform the cheaper sets, plus have other features the cheaper sets can't offer (eg internet connectivity; 3D-compatibility). We feel their performance justifies their premium.

So, for example, if you had planned to spend @£1500 on a TV, you could either save a little extra and buy the very best TV performance around at that price point, or save some money and buy one of the cheaper sets (and a whole cinema set-up) - knowing that you're getting superb value for money, if not the very best TV.

 

[Sky Explorer]

I don't deny its a premium set, yes it has wi-fi, ethernet and DLNA, but the asking price is £1000 over other sets. Most mid range sets, the Panny G20's and cheaper S20's and the Sony 46ex503 to name a few, all have DLNA and ethernet ports, and can use wi-fi with an £80 dongle.

So I guess you are saying the picture quality of the Philips justifies paying an additional £1000 over its rivals?

 

[Clare Newsome]

Essentially, yes - it's a product you're paying a premium for (as with all high-end kit), but if anyone asked us what was the best TV of that size they could buy today, we'd say the Philips.

I don't remember there being all this fuss when we gave Pioneer Kuro plasmas Awards, despite them having an equally eye-watering premium.

 

[Miker]

Just a quick question on the Philips 40" 9704, and I must confess to not having bought your latest issue yet. Will it receive Freeview HD without a set top box? This would be a big plus for selling it to my wife who argues that 32" is plenty big enough.

 

[Sky Explorer]

I think at the time the Kuro was head and sholders above anything else on the market, and even today is used as a benchmark TV.

The Philips site does not mention DVB-T2 but does mention Mpeg4

http://www.consumer.philips.com/c/televisions/9000-led-pro-series-40-inch-full-hd-1080p-digital-tv-40pfl9704h_12/prd/gb/?t=specifications

 

[Clare Newsome]

Sky Explorer:
I think at the time the Kuro was head and sholders above anything else on the market, and even today is used as a benchmark TV.

Indeed - we still have one in one of our test rooms. Excellent TV. But times - and TVs - move on.

And no, the Philips doesn't have Freeview HD built in, as it was released before that spec was finalised.

 

[Sky Explorer]

With the Panny G20 series TV, these now have the advanced picture setup settings menu and now also the THX picture setting, so I'm not sure how the test was done as there is not a great deal of detail in the review regarding this.

What picture setting was used and did you alter the picture using the advanced settings, yet after this you still could did not get the colours to look as good as the Sony TV? Or did you use say the Dynamic picture setting and base the review on this?

 

[Clare Newsome]

Sky Explorer:
With the Panny G20 series TV, these now have the advanced picture setup settings menu and now also the THX picture setting, so I'm not sure how the test was done as there is not a great deal of detail in the review regarding this.

What picture setting was used and did you alter the picture using the advanced settings, yet after this you still could did not get the colours to look as good as the Sony TV? Or did you use say the Dynamic picture setting and base the review on this?

We take time with every set to get the picture looking as good as it possibly can - that involves THX set-up followed by as much tweaking as any available menus will allow.

We would NEVER base a review purely on either out-of-the-box or default settings - though we will, of course, try various picture 'modes' to see how they perform.

 

[Anonymous]

Great answers from the WhatHiFi team, it's really good to hear direct from the writers, editors etc, other magazines would do well to take note.

P.S. I think the original poster has done a runner

 

[Andrew Everard]

User tdm34 now banned for not complying with House Rule 9.

 

[Miker]

Any news about the Philips 2010 series 9000 range? Will they be out before the World Cup?

 

[Anonymous]

Clare / Andrew

I have to say well done for the review in the magazine, ultimatley what everybody wants is accurate reviews without fear bias which you have clearly done against the popularist view which could have swayed lesser reviewers.

Most people would expect that the G20 would come out top over the Sony but surely we all want the real answer not one based on our own preconceptions. I for one would not have given that price point Sony any chance over G20 but other than my own set and looking in a retailer what do I know.....but be sure I want to know if it is better as I will make a choice soon which I will live with for 3 years.

And by the way I must have a TV that betters the Kuro as whats the point in spending more than current Kuro price on a set thats inferior

Question: With advancements in the recent batch of TV's has the Kuro (when all considered not just black level) already been overtaken in your informed opinions by the Philips set and possibly the Samsung

Regards John

 

[Anonymous]

well my understanding is , when the price of the panny falls to £900 , which it will in like , an hour or two , it will then get promoted to 5 stars ? non ?

 

[Anonymous]

Actually according to this price comparison site http://www.tx-p42g20.co.uk the g20 is already available for £860, which seems like a great price, it seems a few retailers have dropped the price to under £900.

 

[Anonymous]

..........but as the review stated its not as good as the Sony................where as the Philips is only a smidgen better than the Samsung!

significantly it wasnt just the £200 the Sony is stated as better!

I want the Philips but at £2200 for 46''???

John

 

[Anonymous]

i think they both should have got 5 stars , the panny is the same price , and iirc comes with a 5 year warranty , the sony only a 3 year..

plus , there are many people who tend to like one tech or another , lcd or plasma , the question is , is there a better 42in plasma than the panny at the same price ?? no .. it will be considered worthy of 5 stars by most , if not all plasma fans , some people , like me for example , prefer plasmas , they wont care how it rates against a tv they wont buy anyway ..

the summation should have been

we think both tvs , sony and plasma , deserve 5 stars , but WE would take the sony ..

the panny was penalised for being a plasma ..

 

[Anonymous]

I think thats a fair call....but whathifi dont see it that way, seemingly

 

[Anonymous]

Simon Lucas:
tdm34:In the AV industry but not telling where!

Go on, do tell. The outcome of our office sweepstake depends on it.

Does working Saturdays at Curry's count as In the AV industry?

 

[Andrew Everard]

If it does, it should be in your signature.

 

[Clare Newsome]

maxflinn:
the panny was penalised for being a plasma ..

No it wasn't.

Please desist from such speculative nonsense. And while you're at it, open your mind to the possibility that with such advances in TV technology in recent years, the hoary-old 'plasma vs LCD' debate is becoming increasingly moot.

We gave Awards to plasmas and LCDs in 2009, but because they were the best sets we'd tested at their price points. That'll be the same case this year - if a plasma is the best in its class, we'll say so.

Fact is for this particular test, even at the same price, the Sony outperforms the Panasonic, except for black levels.

As I said earlier in the thread, many people may prefer the Panasonic, and good luck to them - it's a great TV.

Finally, as our review clearly states (the review that few people here seem to have actually read, certainly in any detail):

"The Panasonic TX-P42G20 just goes to show there's plenty of life in plasma. We can't wait to see what models higher up the Panasonic chain are capable of".

 

[Anonymous]

the panny was penalised for being a plasma is something i shouldnt have said , it could be seen as meaning that i think whfi have an lcd agenda , which is of course not the case , and not what i meant , or believe , so apologies for that ..

i was only trying to make the point that both tvs are the same price , similarly specced , sized , very good performers , but differ in their tech , many people will decide between these two tvs because of their respective characteristics ,

ie , plasma , deeper blacks , more natural picture , no viewing angle issues , faster response time , better motion handling..

lcd , more punchy , sharper picture , maybe a touch more detail , possibly better sd pic..

these are real characteristics of the tech , on this occasion , in this test , whfi decided that they preffered the lcd , which indicates more of an appreciation of lcds virtues , as appeared to be the case last year , when the globally praised v10 got 4 stars in a review about half the size of what ive just written ..

i just think a 5 star rating for both , with the whfi team making clear their view that they just preffered the sony , would have been fairer on the plasma in this test , just my views clare ..