Another spec me a TV - £800-1000

Jon33

Jon33

Jon33

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Hi all

Another which TV thread, Im looking for a new TV which is atleast a 47".

Must have freeview HD, USB. iPlayer etc would be a plus along with 3D.

We've been looking today and seem to prefer LED over the plasma models - picture just seems to look better?

The TV will be used for gaming if that makes any difference when selecting.

Thanks in advance.
 
Hi all, I've reading reviews/browsing the web and narrowed it down to...

Panasonic Viera TX-L50ET60B

Panasonic Viera TX-L50E6B

Sony Bravia KDL47W805

Thoughts on these three, or any others that are a better option?
 
In store demos are misleading, plasmas in particular never look as impressive because the LED sets have brightness on 100 and all the processing applied, which makes them stand out more in a bright store environment. The last few times I've been in John Lewis they've at least put some effort into setting the plasmas up properly.

For that money you could probably grab a 50GT50 if there's stock still about. Reference quality TV once it's set up propely.
 
Somnambulist said:
For that money you could probably grab a 50GT50 if there's stock still about. Reference quality TV once it's set up propely.
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It will certainly get you a 50ST60, which is pretty much the same as a 50GT50. That's what I bought recently and am very happy with it so far.

What is best between LED and Plasma really depends on your viewing conditions though.

The Sony looks a nice set and I believe is good for input lag, so makes a decent gaming set. If you have a Costco membership they were selling it for £960. I nearly bought one but decided to stick with Plasma as it suits my needs better.
 
Jon33 said:
We've been looking today and seem to prefer LED over the plasma models - picture just seems to look better?

The TV will be used for gaming if that makes any difference when selecting.

Thanks in advance.
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Plasma > LCD so long as bright light or sunlight is not hitting the front of the tv.

It has better blacks, better motion handling, less input lagg, considerably cheaper for equivalent LCD models

For gaming plasma is again better so long as it is occasional gaming or gaming which does not have static images on screen for long periods of time.

Is gaming the primary use of the TV then LCD may be a better option, if not then most likely plasma.

You should be able to get a 50" ST60 for your budget, which will blow any LCD at that budget out of the water.
 
Cheers for all the replies guys, very helpful! The main use of the TV will not be gaming but will include it. I think we'll have to go back out and take a proper look at some plasmas. The living room doesnt get the sun after 12oclock so bright conditions won't be a problem.
 
Is the ST60 pretty much the best TV (from all brands) at this price point?

e: And how many hours (roughly) is occassional gaming?

Cheers
 
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ST60 will be a great choice.

I'd maybe keep gaming to an occasional level for the first 100hrs. After that, play as you would normally.

There will probably always be a bit of image retention after gaming (ie ones with bright HUDs), but its temporary and will go away.
 
You'd be hard pushed to find a better tv for the money. It's also well worth checking out the current Samsung plasmas too.

Plasmas are fine for gaming, just be careful not to leave them paused overnight. If gaming sessions often go beyond 2 hours you might want to consider a LED too.
 
Jon33 said:
We've been looking today and seem to prefer LED over the plasma models - picture just seems to look better?
Click to expand...

Don't take this the wrong way, but if you think LED looks better than a plasma, you don't know what a good picture looks like. This is a good thing as you can get away with buying a much cheaper TV whilst being very happy with it.

I wish I could say the same sometimes

so

Buy the cheapest 46" TV in the shop

IF....IF....you want THE best 46" TV sub £1,000 then look no further than the Panasonic ST60 or GT60

There simply isn't ANY competition. We're talking reference quality.
 
Don't be fooled by the ultra bright and over saturated colours on the TV's in store. They are deliberately setup in that way to grab your attention.

If you prefer that, then go for it, but remember the picture isn't accurate. Do flowers and grass always look that saturated in real life?
 
Nymins said:
Don't be fooled by the ultra bright and over saturated colours on the TV's in store. They are deliberately setup in that way to grab your attention.

If you prefer that, then go for it, but remember the picture isn't accurate. Do flowers and grass always look that saturated in real life?
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depends what you've been smoking :D
 
Jon33 said:
Is the ST60 pretty much the best TV (from all brands) at this price point?

e: And how many hours (roughly) is occassional gaming?

Cheers
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how long is a piece of string?

occasional gaming would be 25% or less in total hours imo

so if you game for 2 hours, and watch tv for at least 6 hours in between your next 2 hour session, you should be fine.

if you game for 2 hours every day and only watch tv for 2 hours every day, then i would suggest getting a LCD.
 
Went into John Lewis today and they had a room set up away from the bright lights of the shop, compared a plasma with an LED and the plasma obviously had colours that looked better.

They didn't have any ST60 in stock though. But after reading the comments about gaming I think I'm steering towards an LED as there may be some weeks (mainly if the mrs is away!) when it would probably be used for games more than watching.

Thanks for all the advice guys!
 
Last question (promise!) if LED is the way I need to go because of possible issues when gaming.

Would you guys recommend any that fit into the price range?

Cheers
 
Jon33 said:
Last question (promise!) if LED is the way I need to go because of possible issues when gaming.

Would you guys recommend any that fit into the price range?

Cheers
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This is where it gets tricky, as LEDs often have issues with input lag - arguably the most important quality when it comes choosing a panel for gaming.

Have a look through a few reviews from these places if you get a chance - look for anything that mentions gaming performance or input lag.

http://www.avforums.com/reviews/
http://www.hdtvtest.co.uk/led-tv.php

And just to play Devil's advocate - the Sony w9 LEDs are pretty much the best gaming panels around - but the 46" version comes to ~ £1600
 
Jon33 said:
Last question (promise!) if LED is the way I need to go because of possible issues when gaming.

Would you guys recommend any that fit into the price range?

Cheers
Click to expand...

you could always just leave the scrolling bar on after every gaming session, have auto standby on as well so after 3 hours of scrolling it automatically turns off. this would slowly scrub any IR off. or just use the scrolling bar to check for IR and if you notice any then run it.

but it's best just to run it when new after gaming or black bars just to be on the safe side.

also the older the set becomes (more run in) the more resistant it becomes to IR.

you don't really need to worry about the panel dying on you either as panasonic panels are rated to last a minimum of 100,000 hours under normal use before brightness is halved. so you shouldn't worry about running the scrolling bar for 3 hours.

i did it a few times when i first got it, left the scrolling bar on and went off to the gym, etc, by the time i was back the tv was off.
 
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