LCDecision Panasonic or Sony??

Forums › Home Theatre (including HTPC and EPG Collector) › LCDecision Panasonic or Sony??

lolcano

67 posts

Master Geek

#79529 18-Mar-2011 15:48

Im after a new 32inch LCD and have found two that are both full HD have USB playback and will also be hooked into my desktop.

The two brands are

Sony KDL32EX400
Panasonic TH-L32U20Z

I believe the Sony supports mpeg1 or 2 usb playback? and i could not find the Panasonic manual on there site as it said it was unavailable or anywhere else

Basically i would like to know which model has the best USB video playback support and bang for buck.

Thanks in advance,

Lolcano

1 | 2

3252 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#449678 18-Mar-2011 16:28

Hi, I bought a 37 " version of the Panasonic. Great viewing angles and goes well hooked up to one of my PC's.

The Panasonic was also recommended by consumer magazine but I don't know how much faith i have in consumer these days.

If I ever get some home time over the next couple of days I will try to test some usb playback.

Cheers, Matt.

My views (except when I am looking out their windows) are not those of my employer.

Sharesies

Trade NZ and US shares and funds with Sharesies (affiliate link).

timmmay

19638 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#449680 18-Mar-2011 16:30

Check out Samsung, it has good support for various codecs I think. I took a bunch of files into Noel Leeming and tried it out. NL were really good, let me do anything and provided great support when I decided I didn't like the plasma and wanted an LCD instead.

ilovemusic

1425 posts

Uber Geek

#449698 18-Mar-2011 17:06

Ditto on the Samsung LA32C530.

The manual is useless when it comes to what files it can play.

The USB input plays all my video files except .mov and .flv

Dunnersfella

4064 posts

Uber Geek

#449744 18-Mar-2011 19:59

Neither the Panasonic or the Sony work well as media players...
Sure operating their playback features is easy enough, it's just that both struggle with format support.
The Panasonic plays AVI's, but only selected frame rates - and from memory, the Sony is the same.
If you want a 32" TV that has the same features, but better codec support, check out the Samsung LA32C530 or the LG 32LD460 (JPEG, MP3, AVI/MKV).

Jaxson

7681 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#450300 21-Mar-2011 10:40

Even the Sony PS3 is like that. It plays lots of files but often it won't support any that don't strictly adhere to the formal definition of that file format. As you say, if the frame rate is different etc it will have a hissy fit.

JimmyH

2820 posts

Uber Geek

#450544 21-Mar-2011 22:35

I have a Panasonic LCD (about a year old) and a Samsung LCD (just over 2 years old), and I like them both. Would buy either brand without hesitation. The Panny probably has a (very very slight) edge in picture quality, but then again it's a smaller screen so it could be that.

Personally, I would pick a TV on the basis of it being a superb TV (ie a good range of inputs and good picture quality). My experience is that devices that try to do everything generally don't do any of it well - esp at the budget end.

Unless it was truly atrocious I wouldn't buy on the basis of sound quality (a seperate amp/speakers will pretty much *always* be better).

I also wouldn't buy on the basis of media player capability. No TVs do this very well, andseperate media player such as the Western Digital Live, which DSE has for $199 at the moment, will pretty much beat any TV in terms of options, upgradeability, and formats it will handle. Plus, it can be cheaply replaced/upgraded as technology evolves.

I also wouldn't personally be prepared to touch Sony with a forty-foot pole. I used to be a fan, but now regard them as as arrogant and unethical, with a mania for DRM, proprietary formats and litigation. Other than an old video camera my house is now a Sony-free zone. (Hint: do a search on what they did to Lik Sang, the CD rootkit etc).

tyronnezx

13 posts

Geek

#455943 6-Apr-2011 14:26

go for the panasonic - being an IPS panel it will have far better viewing angles than the sony, and i also noted better blacks compared to models from samsung and sony's in the same screen size.personally id never pick an LCD or a samsung.

openmedia

3050 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#455979 6-Apr-2011 15:06

My Samsung C650 set will play most media over USB or via DLNA, including some FLV files and almost all MKV files.

Just make sure you use a decent DLNA server as there are a couple of hacks/tweaks to make MKV files work well over the network.

If you are going LED I'd consider any Samsung model from the 6200 upwards. Also they are about to do a model refresh so there will be some deals around.

Generally known online as OpenMedia, now working for Red Hat APAC as a Technology Evangelist and Portfolio Architect. Still playing with MythTV and digital media on the side.

plod

272 posts

Ultimate Geek

#456006 6-Apr-2011 16:10

Just got a 40 samsung, media player works great. Ditched the PS3 as far as media watching

robbyp

1199 posts

Uber Geek

#456033 6-Apr-2011 17:19

plod: Just got a 40 samsung, media player works great. Ditched the PS3 as far as media watching

I know quite a few people who have had problems with ss tv's developing problems after 2-3 years. Personally I would only buy sony. I do like the look of hte samsungs, but I think the sonys look better, and consumer ranks sony one of the top ones for reliability. Sony have also just released their new models which are very nice.

timmmay

19638 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#456043 6-Apr-2011 17:57

Consumer says 92% of Samsung TVs don't need repair, so 8% do. That's not great, but it's not awful. My 3 or so year old Samsung 720p LCD has been fine.

Panasonic, Sony, Toshiba come out tops for reliability.

plod

272 posts

Ultimate Geek

#456052 6-Apr-2011 18:16

robbyp:
plod: Just got a 40 samsung, media player works great. Ditched the PS3 as far as media watching

I know quite a few people who have had problems with ss tv's developing problems after 2-3 years. Personally I would only buy sony. I do like the look of hte samsungs, but I think the sonys look better, and consumer ranks sony one of the top ones for reliability. Sony have also just released their new models which are very nice.

Well this is my third samsung tv in 3.5 years.
32 which is 3.5 years has been retired to master bedroom, 26 which is 2 years old has gone to my son's room. And the 40 which is 5 months old is in the lounge. As far as reliability goes, I guess I will have to wait and see. Not bagging Sony or Pana. I was a Sony fan for years.
EDIT..... I wouldn't be surprised if it was a Sony panel in the Samsung or the other way around
EDIT....http://www.hdtvtest.co.uk/news/sony-taiwan-lcd-tv-panels-half-20101207950.htm

robbyp

1199 posts

Uber Geek

#456054 6-Apr-2011 18:35

plod:
robbyp:
plod: Just got a 40 samsung, media player works great. Ditched the PS3 as far as media watching

I know quite a few people who have had problems with ss tv's developing problems after 2-3 years. Personally I would only buy sony. I do like the look of hte samsungs, but I think the sonys look better, and consumer ranks sony one of the top ones for reliability. Sony have also just released their new models which are very nice.

Well this is my third samsung tv in 3.5 years.
32 which is 3.5 years has been retired to master bedroom, 26 which is 2 years old has gone to my son's room. And the 40 which is 5 months old is in the lounge. As far as reliability goes, I guess I will have to wait and see. Not bagging Sony or Pana. I was a Sony fan for years.
EDIT..... I wouldn't be surprised if it was a Sony panel in the Samsung or the other way around
EDIT....http://www.hdtvtest.co.uk/news/sony-taiwan-lcd-tv-panels-half-20101207950.htm

I heard that sony use samsung panels in their TV, at least that is what one sales person told me, but they said that sony used their own electronics to control it, and they were recommending sonys. They said that sony had the least number of problems and returns, but then again they may have made better margins on sony. I do like the samsungs, and I would put them in my top 3 brands. I did actually have a samsung monitor and it developed faults and had to return it, but that may have just been a bad unit. Also consumer doesn't rank their reliability as high as panasonic and sony.

Dunnersfella

4064 posts

Uber Geek

#456073 6-Apr-2011 19:35

I'm guessing they wouldn't have had any more margin in the Sony's...
As far as I understand, the company that sells the most TV's goes broke first.

Hobchild

620 posts

Ultimate Geek

#456092 6-Apr-2011 20:23

I heard that sony use samsung panels in their TV, at least that is what one sales person told me, but they said that sony used their own electronics to control it, and they were recommending sonys. They said that sony had the least number of problems and returns, but then again they may have made better margins on sony. I do like the samsungs, and I would put them in my top 3 brands. I did actually have a samsung monitor and it developed faults and had to return it, but that may have just been a bad unit. Also consumer doesn't rank their reliability as high as panasonic and sony.

AFAIK all Samsung and Sony LCD tv's have S-LCD panels in them. S-LCD is a company co-owned by both parties.

1 | 2