To upgrade a good Plasma or not upgrade!

[neilshep]

Hi,

I have a 42" Hitachi HD Ready PD7500 which I've owned for about 2 years and bought for £2,200. I watch mainly SKY HD or Blu-RayHD-DVD's through my PC which is connected through an ONKYO 905. I'm likely to be doing a home cinema loft conversion with a good projector in a year or so but in addition I'd like to upgrade my screen now (will probably eventually keep this downstairs in the lounge once the loft conversion is done.)

I've currently got my Hitachi on ebay for £350 (which I feel slighlty sick about after having spent £2,200 on it 2 years ago) and I'm wondering if I'm making a smart move or not. I think the picture quality on the Hitachi is very good with HD sources, I'm thinking though that there should be a significant improvement for the PC connection if I upgrade to a plasma with 1080p instead of it on it's 1024x1024 screen resolution trying to manage them. I'm also guessing within the last 2 years there have been some significant improvements in the technology.

My two questions:

1. Should I be upgrading (likely budget of around £1,200)

2. I'm looking for a slim 42" 1080p plasma for around £1,200, what would be your recommendation? Sound quality of the TV doesnt matter as it's all running through the onkyo 905 receiver. I'm thinking maybe one of the new panasonics.

Thanks!

 

[Anonymous]

Should you upgrade? Only you can make that decision. We dont know what your Hitachi looks like. So you need to look in the shops, preferably an AV specialist, and see what today's quality is like.

I would start by looking at the Panny 42PX80 (HD Ready, around £630) and the 42PZ80 (full HD, around £799) . I wouldnt get hung up about Full HD, I would look at them at your normal viewing distance and see what you think. You may not see any difference between them. Check out SD and HD before making a decision. A lot of people say the PX80 is better at SD.

If you really want to spend £1200, then try and get one of the last Pioneer 4280XDs before they disappear. Probably the best 42".

 

[Andy Clough]

The Pioneer 4280XD is a fantastic screen, and if you can get one, I'd go for it.

 

[neilshep]

Thanks for all the feedback. What do you think of the new Sony BRAVIA E4000 series? LCD worth a look or do you think it will feel like a step down after having a plasma?

 

[D.J.KRIME]

How dare You even think of going LCD after having a Plasma! Give Your self 6 of the best!

IMHO I am yet to see a LCD set that has come any where near to a Good Plasma and after years of owning Plasma sets I personally find LCD sets over bright and offer almost computerised colours compared to a Plasmas much more natural colour delivery, not to mention Black levels.

 

[neilshep]

Yeah, I'm thinking though that this might be an easier sell to my girlfriend who wants to turn the living room into a reading room when I get my home cinema loft conversion done. The picture mode in the E4000 seems pretty cool and will make it look more like a painting in the room and fit in with the 1930's look of the property. I might pop to tottenham court rd at the weekend and check it out, havent seen any reviews on it yet.

 

[Anonymous]

neilshep:Yeah, I'm thinking though that this might be an easier sell to my girlfriend who wants to turn the living room into a reading room when I get my home cinema loft conversion done. The picture mode in the E4000 seems pretty cool and will make it look more like a painting in the room and fit in with the 1930's look of the property. I might pop to tottenham court rd at the weekend and check it out, havent seen any reviews on it yet.If I was you I'd upgrade the girlfriend.

 

[D.J.KRIME]

I am with You there rewerb!

 

[professorhat]

neilshep:I've currently got my Hitachi on ebay for £350 (which I feel slighlty sick about after having spent £2,200 on it 2 years ago)
I think you're making a bad decision. I understand your want for a better picture, but with a PC connection an HDTV is not the answer - it doesn't compare with the best PC monitors in resolution terms. In my opinion, the difference between 720p and 1080p on a PC is barely noticeable and I use PCs a lot in a lot of different resolutions. If you like the picture you have now, why sell the TV you have for way less than you bought it and then spend more for a picture which might only be slightly better?
Only my opinion of course, but I'd save your money for the projector. I'm kinda of in the same boat as you, have a 3 year old 720p Panasonic plasma 42". I've just bought the Onkyo 905 and am next thinking a projector to really get the home cinema I want. My Panny plasma is fine for a 42" and, at the distance I watch at, I don't believe there is a need for 1080p yet. So if I were you, I'd concentrate solely on saving money for that projector (which definitely should be 1080p - that's the size of screen when it really makes a difference!).

 

[Anonymous]

Well, if PC connection is important to u, go for LCD, FullHD. Sony E series is the best in class (exactly the same TV as W series), although it lacks 100 Hz technology (which I really like). Colours are just tad below best plasmas, which is noticable only in direct side-by-side comparison. In daylight, LCD has way better picture, including blacks. Plasma is flickering, especially if u look at it from small distance (I know, i have 42PZ85...), even with 100 Hz.

Best of all: E series has the same black level as Panasonic plasmas, even in dark room (both have the same 0,5 cd/m2 black level).

Only Kuro tops that (42": 0,3 cd/m2), but dont go for it - it has even lower resolution than your Hitachi...