What is the best 42' TV to buy

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jodester

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Wannabe Geek

Topic # 87126 20-Jul-2011 15:08

Ventured into Harvey Norman's today, and was totally overwhelmed with the choice.

I'm looking for a 42" tv that look's great and performs well. I've heard plasmas are the best.
I'm currently a Panasonic advocate, but quite like the look of the slimline frames on the Samsung.

Do I really need 3D, Wifi, all the bells and whistles? I want something that is going to last and has a great picture.
Does a tv that has wifi mean that you can watch a dvd via laptop unconnected? I want a clean look in my living room and as the tv will be wall mounted, would prefer not to have a need for a separate dvd player with the problem of where to put it.

Aaargghh....it's so hard. Hope you guys can shed some light.

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Reply # 495787 20-Jul-2011 15:40

Are you in a freeview reception area?
Do you have a bluray player?

Reason I ask is just to gather what type of sources you are going to use the TV for.

Look around, there are literally heaps of threads here about selecting a TV.

I'd look to stick with a brand name at the moment. Sony, Panasonic, Samsung etc. The prices are cheap enough right now not to have to opt for a budget/compromise brand.

jodester

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Reply # 495801 20-Jul-2011 15:53

Thanks Jaxon,
I believe I am in a freeview reception area, so planning on buying one with freeview built in, which seems standard now anyway.
No, I don't have a bluray player.
Mainly just general TV watching and the occasional dvd. Not sure about the concept of viewing web or social media via tv??? so new, it feels a little strange.
Agree, definately want a brand as opposed to a budget one, but each brand has so many different models in their range and within the different sizes too.
Cool, will check out some of the other threads tonight.
thanks for your help :)

timmmay

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Reply # 495968 20-Jul-2011 21:53

I had a Samsung plasma, but returned it because of a buzzing and because the motion wasn't smooth. I got a Samsung LCD (my second) and I really like it.

Trust your eyes, not what people online say. I bought from LV Martin, they were really great about exchanging the TV, even refunding the difference in price. Highly recommended.

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Dunnersfella

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Reply # 495979 20-Jul-2011 22:05

In regards to 42" plasmas - the answer is easy.
Panasonic.
They are the ONLY manufacturer to make a 42" plasma that's full high definition.
The harder part is deciding what point to 'jump off at'.

The X30 is HD ready, so discount that if you want a TV that'll last you into the future.
The U30 is Full HD, but only when you're watching a still image... meaning for moving pictures, the panel can't produce a full 1080 picture.
The ST30 is where I'd start looking... 3D, very good motion performance and a few more options like DLNA etc.
The GT30 will hopefully be in my lounge later on this year (all-be-it as a 50" TV)... I really do like the styling above the ST30.

jodester

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Wannabe Geek

Reply # 496110 21-Jul-2011 09:39

wow thanks guys. Dunnersfella thanks for the very thorough overview of Panasonic models...I think the ST30 might be what I was dreaming about yesterday when I saw it, as not only did it have more of the mod cons but it also seemed more stylie and streamlined than the U model. Was just really starting to get up there in price. Definately don't have the space for a 50"...good luck with your savings.

Maybe if I follow a Panasonic truck, one could fall of the back :)

robjg63

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Reply # 496143 21-Jul-2011 10:41

I have a 50" Panasonic plasma (coming up 2 years old) and v pleased with it.

I would just say - make sure you get the 'Full HD' - dont get an 'HD ready' (which isnt full HD) and also - go as big as you can afford.

Honestly - I dont know anyone that has ever bought a TV and said 'its too big'. Our lounge is tiny and we got a 50". The first night (it replaced a 32"LCD) it looked quite dauntingly large. By the second night my wife said we could have gone bigger. The thing is you get very used to a large display - and the full HD programs look stunning even on the >50" panels. As you should probably have it for a while GO LARGE!

As for the 3D and WiFi junk - wouldnt bother with the 3D - who knows where that is going and wifi/internet is already on a lot of then - doubt you really need it though. You would need a good network to be able to stream HQ video from a DVD to the TV without stuttering on WiFi. You would need to check that out if thats what you wanted to do.

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sultanoswing

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Reply # 497827 26-Jul-2011 00:15

Dunnersfella: In regards to 42" plasmas - the answer is easy.
Panasonic.
They are the ONLY manufacturer to make a 42" plasma that's full high definition.
The harder part is deciding what point to 'jump off at'.

The X30 is HD ready, so discount that if you want a TV that'll last you into the future.
The U30 is Full HD, but only when you're watching a still image... meaning for moving pictures, the panel can't produce a full 1080 picture.
The ST30 is where I'd start looking... 3D, very good motion performance and a few more options like DLNA etc.
The GT30 will hopefully be in my lounge later on this year (all-be-it as a 50" TV)... I really do like the styling above the ST30.

Are we to presume that NZ is too poor to be receiving the top-of-the-range VT30's ?

Dunnersfella

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Reply # 497832 26-Jul-2011 01:01

Nope - the VT30's are in NZ (well I've seen the smaller 42" version anyway. Yet to lay my eyes on the 50 or 65" jobbies though. Would be VERY nice, and hopefully the price will be lower than last year for the 65" monster!

fahrenheit

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Reply # 497915 26-Jul-2011 10:35

The 42 and 50" VT are out now, the 65 is due next month.
Its a shame really because as a 50" V10 owner I'd like to upgrade to 55" but NZ isn't getting the 55" VT (at least its not on the release schedule publicly).

I think the pricing across the range is in need of a correction tbh. Samsung are offering their 59" flagship (D8000) for a little over $100 more than the flagship Panasonic 50" model.
And a 55" GT30 with a pair of 3D glasses will cost you a half a grand more than a 50" VT30 that has superior features and picture quality*

* according to pricespy currently.

nzsouthernman

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Reply # 502853 6-Aug-2011 23:20

I just bought a VT30 42" Panasonic and I'm pleased to say it's a fantastic TV.

Comes with 3D Glasses & a Wifi adapter - some of the other versions support both but you need to buy them separately. Watch out for some of the other 42" Panasonic's - they may say FullHD, but on ocassion they can only display a 1920x1080 when it's a static image. Moving images drop down to lower resolutions.

Setup was really easy - the inputs on the back are tiny little custom sockets, but Panasonic include the appropriate cables to turn them into normal AV / VGA etc connections.

My MythTV frontend that's underneath it is only squirting the VGA out at 800x600, but if you didn't know it was 800x600 you'd never know. It looks fantastic. None of my SD devices handle upsizing an SD output to the HD resooution themselves, but it appears that the TV is doing some form of interpolation of the upsized resolution as the SD playbacks look fantastic. Way better than on the 42" CRT this TV replaced.

Firing up my PS3 and playing Ghostbusters in HD was awesome.

The hardest parts of integrating it into my lounge were a) lugging the old 42" out the door, and b) setting my Logitech remote up to incorporate the Panasonic into the devices & macros. :)

I spent hours doing my homework on plasma's and the VT series came out on top of all the other brands. Harvey Normal Belfast & Noel Leeming Riccarton were the only retailers in Christchurch to have some in stock when I started looking for them. I think there may be a new model coming out as HN was $400 cheaper than NL, but I didn't know that until after I'd already decided to buy from HN. (Better service - their sales guy chased me via email after I made my first enquiry).

That's my $.02 on the subject.

bfginger

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Reply # 502906 7-Aug-2011 09:45

jodestar, if you're going to get a good TV, you may as well get a Blu-ray player too. They cost less than $180 now and can play DVDs too. Most DVDs are poor quality and only ever seemed good quality because they were better than VHS which was nasty even by 1970s standards.

If you want the best 42" plasma television available the specific model you want is the Panasonic TH-P42VT30Z.

Panasonic's model numbers work like this
X: junk
U: bottom end
ST: low end
GT: mid end
VT: high end

Luckily the V30 doesn't suffer he rising blacks problem of previous years.

The price drop was probably due to the currency appreciating. I don't think there'll be a new model until next year. And I have doubts there'll be another high end model available under 50" again.

Way better than on the 42" CRT this TV replaced.

42"? Dare I ask??

fahrenheit

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Reply # 502916 7-Aug-2011 10:00

bfginger:
Luckily the V30 doesn't suffer he rising blacks problem of previous years.

Regardless of what Panasonic may say on the topic, that is yet to be proven true. CNET will continue ongoing testing and a very respectable calibrator with inside knowledge has put his reputation on the line and stated that they will indeed rise. To what degree and how soon is a different matter though.

Dunnersfella

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Reply # 503073 7-Aug-2011 19:17

fahrenheit:
bfginger:
Luckily the V30 doesn't suffer he rising blacks problem of previous years.

Regardless of what Panasonic may say on the topic, that is yet to be proven true. CNET will continue ongoing testing and a very respectable calibrator with inside knowledge has put his reputation on the line and stated that they will indeed rise. To what degree and how soon is a different matter though.

Keep in mind that NZ panels are different from those in the States and through out Europe...
The VT30 looks gorgeous to my eyes - and it smashes the Samsung Series 8 in regards to motion, so it's by far and away my favourite. But truth be known, most people won't splurge on a VT30, instead settling on the GT (really a very similar set for considerably less).

fahrenheit

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Reply # 503080 7-Aug-2011 19:38

Dunnersfella:
Keep in mind that NZ panels are different from those in the States and through out Europe...

My NZ 50" V10 suffered rising blacks just like the US and European counterparts. Its a design flaw and is not region specific.

Dunnersfella

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Reply # 503093 7-Aug-2011 20:20

fahrenheit:
Dunnersfella:
Keep in mind that NZ panels are different from those in the States and through out Europe...

My NZ 50" V10 suffered rising blacks just like the US and European counterparts. Its a design flaw and is not region specific.

Your 50V10 is/was now 2 generations behind the current model, time to compare the most recent TV's don't you think?

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