Panasonic TH-P42U20Z vs TH-P42U30Z whats the diff?

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ageorge

626 posts

Ultimate Geek

#92890 8-Nov-2011 18:51

Hi my LCD TV gave up the ghost and hope to repair it as soon as hard to get parts arrive from China but in the meantime, the kids are getting TV withdrawal, and I see one of these TH-P42U20Z for special, which we can use elsewhere when the LCD is fixed.

Having read the reviews, these Panasonic models dont seem to be much good, but any comments appreciated especially the difference between the 20 and 30 model.
Cheers,
Alistair.

gumdigger

429 posts

Ultimate Geek

#542792 8-Nov-2011 20:01

u20 is from the 2010 entry level FULL HD line up and u30 is 2011, U30 is capable of IPTV and has a facebook app. Specs related to picture quality should be the same.

ageorge

626 posts

Ultimate Geek

#542802 8-Nov-2011 20:15

Thanks is their PQ as bad as reported elsewhere do you know? I am used to a good picture with our LCD but looking at some of the Plasma models in stores a while back, I could not tolerate the quality.
Live in rural, so its not just a case of a short trip to Harvey Norman etc to check them out.
Thanks,
Al.

gumdigger

429 posts

Ultimate Geek

#542841 8-Nov-2011 21:20

Picture quality is pretty good on this model but it will reflect a bit more than your lcd, because it does have any uv filter like the st or vt models. Panasonic also has a u30 lcd model that should be in the same sort of price range if you want.

bfginger

1268 posts

Uber Geek

#542870 8-Nov-2011 22:38

What model is your LCD?

The U20 was last year's model. The U30 is a bottom end 1080p plasma TV. I doubt there is any difference between it and the 3D model, the UT30, other than 3D.

The P42ST30Z would be a better purchase than the U30. It is available for under $1500 which unfortunately is more than it sells for overseas as our retailers like fat margins.
http://www.hdtvtest.co.uk/news/panasonic-tx-p42st30b-p42st30-201105161138.htm

I can only guess why the plasma televisions that you saw looked so bad. They may have been under bright fluorescent lighting, or not been given a HD signal, been low end 768p sets, plugged in via composite cables, hadn't had overscan disabled, etc. The last time I was in a Harvey Normans the Panasonic plasmas were mostly being fed SD and the Sonys were being given a nasty 4:3 satellite feed.

Dunnersfella

4086 posts

Uber Geek

#542895 8-Nov-2011 23:49

bfginger: The P42ST30Z would be a better purchase than the U30. It is available for under $1500 which unfortunately is more than it sells for overseas as our retailers like fat margins. .

Dead horse...
Whipping.

Anyhoo... the 42ST Panasonic is where 'plasmas get good'. The anti-glare louver and black levels will smoke the likes of the U20. Of course, it'll be nowhere as cheap as last years U20. You should be able to get one of those for under half the price of the ST30.
It's an 'okay' TV, but that's about it... it can't actually resolve a Full HD picture from a moving image, only 900 lines of resolution, and if the room is brightly lit, it'll struggle to give you a decent picture. The TH-L42U30 LCD would be a better choice - but it's not as cheap as a TH-P42U20.

ageorge

626 posts

Ultimate Geek

#542908 9-Nov-2011 04:45

I have always been a Philips fan, due to excellent picture quality of most of their sets, and was a serviceman for about 20 years, but since this 42TA2800 only 3 years old bit the dust, I would not touch a Philips product with a barge pole due to such constrained spare parts that you often have to get a repaired replacement board (if you can get it). There is a law I believe that stipulates company must support discontinued product with spare parts for X number of years. If so, Philips ignores it!
I'll eventually fix the Philips telly if ordered spares arrive, or bite the bullet and pay for a replacement PSU board.

One thing of use out of the broken set saga is I may have found a source of discrete spare parts.

Re the plasma. Yes, the P42U20 is available at a massively good price, but if its only average picture, then best we ignore it here.

Prices of LCD have been dropping quite a bit in the last months. Also, Google reveals that its now considered plasma is a redundant technology.
I'll start a new thread recommended 42"/1m or larger LCD

Cheers Geekzone.
Al.

bfginger

1268 posts

Uber Geek

#543870 10-Nov-2011 17:33

Philips television failures are usually caused by broken electrolyte capacitors on the power boards. Replacing the whole power board may be excessive if not wasteful but might have lower labour costs.

I wouldn't say plasma is a redundant technology. Plasma televisions remain on the market because LCDs cannot match them in some areas yet.

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ageorge

626 posts

Ultimate Geek

#543878 10-Nov-2011 18:07

bfginger: Philips television failures are usually caused by broken electrolyte capacitors on the power boards. Replacing the whole power board may be excessive if not wasteful but might have lower labour costs.

I wouldn't say plasma is a redundant technology. Plasma televisions remain on the market because LCDs cannot match them in some areas yet.

Thanks for the tip - Ill replace the ceramic cap in harmonic choke circuit as well as the electrolytics on the output circuit as you suggest.
Of course it could be the output switch mode xfmer, but hopefully thats not the case.
Am getting replacement FET soon (I hope) and will run the psu disconnected with my trusty dummy load 230vac light temporarily replacing fuse to check psu for reliability.

Hope next TV we get does not have such a short life, and zilch product support in spares; boards have to be flown in from Singapore.
NZers should blacklist Philips products IMHO.