Which Plasma?

[admin_exported]

I had set my heart on the well reviewed samsung PS50Q97 at approx £1399 at a certain department store that offers free 5 year warranty. With my finger poised over the order button I notice the Samsung PS50C96HDX at the same store at £899. The specs seem pretty much the same except the latter screen has 1 HDMI less. Having read other reviews of the 2 TV's they sound almost identical. Am I missing something here or is this a "no brainer" and save myself £500. I realize What Hi Fi has not reviewed the cheaper screen but has anyone got any comments?

 

[Anonymous]

Well, I bought the PS-50Q97HDX from PRCDirect for £1080 delivered two days later on a Saturday morning as requested. You pay the extra to JL for the long warranty, and I suppose in some ways it may be worth it. Depends on your point of view.

All I can tell you is that the screen I bought is a belter. It's fab. I'd buy it again in a flash. Such a smooth image, even at 8 feet away, which is about how far away we sit.

Who comes up with these viewing distances anyway!!?? A good smooth 50 inch is fine at 8 feet. Apparently I should be watching a 28" screen or some such miniature TV. Sorry for getting off topic but this rubbish about sitting miles away from you screen has been bugging me! 🙂

 

[Anonymous]

I agree I have seen the TV on a number of occasions and yes it looks a belter...Unfortunately so does the cheaper one - annoyingly. Viewing distances - the bigger the better as far as I am concerned - less is more piffle!!

 

[D.J.KRIME]

Try here http://www.cramptonandmoore.co.uk/50-screens-c43.html as they have both screens the PS50C96DHX AT £899 WITH 3 YR Warrantry and the PS50Q97DHX at £1099 with 4 year warrantry. I like Will have the PS50Q97DHX which I got from these guys and their delivery was only £50.
If you can afford the extra I strongly recomend the PS50Q97DHX over the PS50C96DHX as even tho the spec on paper seam almost the same in the real world they are a mile apart in proformance and for the sake of £200 it is money well spent.

 

[Anonymous]

Good to hear! Always nice to know I made the right choice. Have to say, I feel chuffed everytime I sit in front of it!

Must admit I'm still after a new DVD player and looking at a second hand Marantz DV9600 at under £500 . Think that until Blue Ray etc come on stream properly this will be the best way to get the most out of DVDs and CDs.

What do you think?

 

[D.J.KRIME]

I went for the Denon DVD 3930 which I got from my local Audio T as a Ex-Demo for £550 and all I can say is that I thought my old Pioneer DV757Ai looked good but this really makes the player and the screen shine, set to 720p via HDMI. I never knew dvd could look so great!

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks for your advice chaps. Think I was just trying to be tight. Buying from JL because we have a load of vouchers from our recent wedding - more interesting than a toaster. Now the only question remaining is whether to buy separates or all in one 5.1 system to use with it. See post in Home cinema forum...

Grant

 

[Anonymous]

Come on Grant! Don't say those words here. It's just rude. Has to be seperates. All depends on your budget. If you're hard up go down to Richer Sounds and they'll help you out.

 

[D.J.KRIME]

All in one systems arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.............................................

 

[Anonymous]

Ok the choice of Plasma is going to be the PS50Q97HDX. If you had another 700 quid to spend on wall mountable small speakers and an Amp and DVD player whats your best solution. Would prefer Amp and DVD to be same make and need to include HDMI cable, interconnects, speaker cable etc. Challenge.....

Grant

 

[Anonymous]

PS-50Q97HDX is the same TV as the PS50Q96HD😀ixons exclusive version of the more common market model, the Samsung PS50Q97HDX

 

[Anonymous]

D.J.KRIME : Do you think the PS50Q97HDX will be any good with a normal SKY BOX, seeing as you have said previously in another post that it's good with Freeview. Also, what's it like when watching Sport e'g Football, and Upscaling Standard Def DVDs?

 

[D.J.KRIME]

I have a sky+ box hooked up to mine via a QED RGB scart cable and on the whole the picture is extreamly watchable only some of the lesser channels looking a little ropey but that is down to their transmissions rather that the plasma. It copes very well with sport and when watching football on sky sports it delivers good natural looking colours and copes extreamly well with the fast motion tracking the ball well unlike most LCD sets.
On to dvd. When I got this screen (I used to have a Panasonic 42"" series 5) I had a Pioneer dv757Ai and to be honest the picture looked good with the screens built-in scaller doing a fine job but I have since upgraded my dvd player to a Denon DVD3930 and dvd's look amazing, the screen delivers amazing amount of detail and blacks are stunning offering tru depth to the image with very little picture noise at all. It is hard to believe that you are watching a dvd its that good.
I also have a XBOX 360 which looks the nuts in HD and the screen copes with aplomb with a true HD signal, This screen really is a steal at its price and in my honest oppion you would have to spend a lot more money say on the Nw pioneer series 8 screens to beat the proformance it gives but I would sujest a good dvd player as to say a cheeper upscaling machine to get the most out of this screen as it really does shine!

 

[Anonymous]

I'm hearing so many good reviews about the above mentioned 50'' Samsungs. Anyone know much about the PS50P96FDX? It's a 1080p and would rather have that as a future investment.

Thoughts welcomed.

 

[D.J.KRIME]

When I got mine the 1080P PS50P96 was not out but if my screen is anything to go buy it should be good, not sure if it is ok with 1080p/24fps tho.