Will I notice a large enough difference?

[admin_exported]

Hi all

First time poster so apologies if the following is pretty simple stuff for you all.

I currently have a Panasonic plasma P42G10. I bought it in January 2010 for about £700. We have recently moved home and our new property has a smaller living room, which means we sit closer to the screen.

I have noticed that, now we are sat closer to the tv, that its fans are quite loud and I find myself distracted by them (the missus can't hear a thing though!)

I have decided to think about selling the Panny (is £250 asking price too much?) and buy a new tv for around the price I paid for this one (ie £700). Looking at something between 40 and 46". I have no real preference between plasma/LCD/LED.

So, will I notice a big difference in picture quality and which tvs are recommended at this price point?

Thanks in advance for any help received.

S

 

[bigboss]

If your TV is still under warranty, why not have it looked at by a service engineer?

 

[strapped for cash]

I used to own a G10 and the fans are a little noisy (though the fan noise actually masks any plasma buzz) . An engineer wouldn't be able to do anything about this, as it sounds like the TV is operating normally (unless the fans sound like a hairdryer).

Besides, Panasonic tend to consider any problem with their TVs "within specification," which is shorthand for "we're not prepared to do anything to resolve issues users have with out TVs, as it would cost a fortune in panel replacements and product recalls." I'd imagine a visit from a Panasonic engineer would cost you money and get you no further.

For what it's worth, the only real issue with the G10 is rising black levels. At least you get perfect screen uniformity, which is a problem that plagues current Panasonic plasmas. I wouldn't replace your TV on the basis of fan noise alone. If you're happy with the picture, you should perhaps try to adjust to slightly intrusive fan whirring.

How far do you sit from the TV now?

 

[Son_of_SJ]

I'm sure that bigboss and strapped for cash will correct me if I err, but I believe that only plasma sets have cooling fans, not LED/LCD sets.

If you do decide that you want a new set, one thing to do is to decide in advance what features are necessary to you. Things like 3D, how many HDMI inputs, SMART facilities, Freesat, 15-pin VGA input for a PC, etc. I'll take it as a given that any new set will have a Freeview HD tuner and will also be of full HD resolution (1920 by 1080 pixels). However, at only £700, things like voice and gesture control will be absent (as well as being unnecessary!).

I'm not sure if you'll get £250 for a TV that cost £700 new, but is now three years old ....

 

[bigboss]

Agree with Son_of_SJ. You should demo your shortlist & see which one you prefer.

This is a good deal, but it's a plasma:

http://www.sevenoakssoundandvision.co.uk/p/panasonic-tx-p42gt50-42inch-3d-plasma-tv?pp=96&pp=96

 

[strapped for cash]

My advice was based on the fact that I think £250 is an ambitious sale price for a G10 (my V20 recently sold for £375) and that the OP's only stated complaint with his current television is fan noise.

In my experience of the G10, fan noise can be a little intrusive, but no more so than typical plasma buzzing. An LED TV will of course run quieter. The G10 also benefits from perfect screen uniformity and zero viewing angle restrictions, which isn't true of current generation Panasonic plasmas (or any LCD/LED TV).

Nevertheless, if the OP has decided it's time to upgrade, I wouldn't discourage them. The G10 isn't the prettiest TV and has issues with rising black levels (as did all 2009 Panasonic plasma TVs). It also offers limited calibration options (no white or colour balance menus, or gamma adjustment).

The best way to determine if there's value in replacing your TV is to audition newer models. The GT50 BB suggests produces more accurate images and has much deeper black levels. It's also a good time buy, as prices have fallen quite a bit in the last month. Just be aware that 2012 Panasonic plasmas, like all TVs, come loaded with their own issues, notably the "dirty screen effect."

There are plenty of threads on this forum and elsewhere documenting this problem. They're worth reading before making a decision.