What flatpanel to beat my Panny CRT

[daveloc]

I've been hanging on to my (very good) last-generation CRT TV setup:
Panny DMP-BD35 -> QED component -> Panny 32PD50 (calibrated with THX demo disc II)

for some time now in the belief that most flatpanels couldn't match its picture quality even if you could get a physically larger and/or HD resolution screen for reasonable money (yeah, I know, I should have grabbed a Kuro EOL, but I didn't). Anyway, recent reviews suggested we've reached the point where it was worth taking up my dealer's time on a demo.

However, I've just got back from watching:
Pioneer 320 -> HDMI -> Panny 42G20 (THX mode, although we tried others)

and clearly several things, including the black levels, weren't as good as I already have.

The BD test items were:
Wall•E trailer reel
Blade Runner (start crawl, cityscape, eye)

The wave patterns (or lack of them in the dark blue to black) on the "Pirates" excerpts were particularly noticeable, but I also saw colour banding and even some image flicker as the house in "Up" rose past the 'camera'.

I didn't bother with the SD/DVD test items.

Once I got home, I rechecked the problem scenes on the CRT, and decided that while I might have been a little too critical (watching the image, not the movie), all of the shortcoming in the HD/BD plasma picture over the downscaled CRT picture *were* genuine, if not as pronounced as I thought.

Obviously I can go higher up the Panny range later in the year (maybe Infinite Black Pro will be the "one last heave" over mere Infinite Black?) but does anyone have direct experiences of other technologies (area LED backlit LCD?) versus *CRT*, rather than other flatpanels, that they can share? 37/40/42"-ish, assume price not an issue

There's probably several years life in the tube, so in extremis, if the manufacturers can't beat their own old technologies, I can afford to wait, World Cup, VAT rise, and all...

 

[6th.replicant]

"What flatpanel to beat my Panny CRT?"

AND will also have the longterm reliability of a CRT?

Er, um, erm, ah, let's see now, umm..?

Have you considered a projector?!

 

[Anonymous]

well if the black levels and shadow detail on the g20 didnt do it for you , theres only the v20 thats any better from the tvs currently available , no lcd can display either the same black depth nor shadow detail of the g20 , with the unlikely , but possible exception of the lg 8500 led lcd , according to reviews , info on the web ...

 

[Dazmb]

As the former owner of a Panny Quintrix CRT I know what you are going through mate! I too was very unhappy that none of the LCD's I was looking at matched the lovely natural picture of the Panny CRT. Numerous generations of LCD panel technology development, and despite all the hype the overall picture quality didn't beat my old 60hz 26" CRT.

I think you will have to go for a plasma and just try and take as small a hit as you can on the natural / lush element of the picture where CRT's ruled supreme. I got a 37" PX80 Panny plasma and it's as close to the Panny CRT in terms of picture quality as I could find at the time. Not quite an equal in terms of the same lush colours (and still with a bit of motion blur). But a sharper picture than the CRT and soooo... much better than all the LCD's I looked at which even when setup correctly had odd & overly bright colours which possibly is a byproduct of the 100% artificial backlighting LCD's have.

Good luck.

 

[Anonymous]

Having just taken delivery of a Sony 40EX503 I recommend that you consider one of these.

I can see why it was recently awarded 5 stars by this magazine in a group test. The picture is sharp and the colours rich and natural - both in HD and SD. I have not even needed to adjust the picture settings in any way as the out of the box settings are fine.

It is also a excellent value at £675 currently at Amazon.

 

[Nyorker]

For several years I've had an excellent Toshiba 34" 100mhz (forgot the name of the model...) that delivered terrific PQ & had pretty decent speakers as well.

However, after I replaced it with my Panny Plasma, it was another world: not only was the picture smoother and the colors spot-on, watching movies and sports was now a completey differenet experience. And that was before I watched HD material or BD...

I think if you're already really open to switch to a flatpanel, I suggest you compare one model to another and not to your CRT, because at some point you will always feel, "well, this model is not as.... as my screen." And I'm not trying to sound patronizing or anything, I just personally believe that would be a better way to look for a flat screen.

If, on the other hand, right now you're really happy with your CRT and could wait a little longer (even - heaven forbid - to consider 3D TV), relax and enjoy what you have.