Panasonic TH-42PX70PED

FutureGuy

Hi everyone,
Was thinking of buying this at the weekend.

http://www.qed-uk.com/q?vp=5&bg=179&bp=42px70pb&bi=0&ird=1405

How accurate do you think this rating is (3.5 stars). It's priced in the Panasonic Store at é1699, with a ministand (pedastol) and a 5 year warranty.

Can anyone recommend a better TV at a similar price?

Tks

big_moe

some places have it for €1599. at that price there isnt a better tv. i have one, stunning picture.

moe

FutureGuy

Thanks Big_Moe, I had a good read up and decided to buy it...very happy with my purchase

big_moe

good stuff, they're excellent!

fred funk }{

I got one and I'm very pleased with it. SD is superb, especially DVD. I have a 360 and some of the gaming is breath taking in HD. You wont be disappointed

FutureGuy

The picture is incredible. I was playing PES6 on the XBOX360 and it's breathtaking

I'm a bit of a tech-noob to be honest. Is there anything like a switcher block I can get that would allow me to switch over from the XB360 to a Wii (which is also running through a component cable)?

Also, I am looking to buy the official stahnd for this tv...anyone have any good online stores they could suggest?

big_moe

yeah you can buy a component switcher. or you could get an AV amp and route everything through that.

component video switcher

is there no HDMI on an Xbox?? or even VGA??

moe

Fingleberries

HDMI is only available on the new Elite Xbox (not available in Europe yet).

You can do VGA, though.

Snake Plisken

yeah pick up the official 360 VGA cable for around 25 Euros and that'll free up your component. Micro$oft recently updated the box to improve the picture through VGA, so if I were you thats the way I'd go.

Snake

FutureGuy

Ye will all have to excuse my total lack of knowledge on these things...

By running my XBOX360 through the VGA cable and not the component cable, will there be a loss in picture quality?

Thanks for all your help everyone!

Snake Plisken

No actually it will make an improvement over the component, if your playing Xbox 1 games via the 360 keep it handy as some games like Doom 3 need to be played via component. Movies and all are fine. I'll post my settings in a few minutes, just beware for the first 200 hours set the picture settings to Cinema, put brightness and Contrast 15 clicks to the left of centre on both, this will help to avoid image retention/screen burn.

Snake

Snake Plisken

Ok settings I'm using on my Panasonic PV71 (German version of yours)
Xbox 360 Settings under console blade Display 1024 x 768 Widescreen expanded.
On TV under PC input go into setup and select WXGA and that should be it (note you need to do this with the 360 running)
Also avoid leaving DVD & Console menus on the set for long periods, I've found that I got some retention on 360 & PS3 due to menus also for gaming, I wouldn't recommend playing on it for long periods during burn-in period as static images in games like score and indicator bars can leave some retention.
Any other help you need please post on here.

Snake

Waesfjord

Hey Snake

did you see my thread (panasonic PV71), I rasied earlier today.

All the Uk PX70 tv's got a software upgarde over the air, apparently has improved some tv features...

any idea how to get software upgrades for a PV71 in Ireland?

Snake Plisken

Heya Brian, how's your set doing? No didn't hear that might have to check the German forums to see if there was any updates for the 71's. Have to say my set has got a lot better with regards image retention since going over the 200 hours, was freaked out having to blow up all my movies with black bars but watched the HD DVD version of The Thing all the way through and all though I could see the retention afterwards a quick switch to snowy screen on dynamic sorted it out in 5 mins.

Snake

Waesfjord

have notcied no retention issues with my set, have the settings turned down and in cinema mode.

have been just watching tv / dvd's as normal, seen no problems with channel logos or the black columns/rows when wtaching different aspect ratio channels.

i'd say I've watch maybe ~100hours so far - great aleady

if it gets better, then super!!:)

twenty8

Anyone know where I can get one of these? I have tried loads of places around and everyone is out of stock. - Harvey Norman, DID etc.

Any suggestions??

Thanks,

J

Snake Plisken

HAve you checked Alliance? Big Moe might advise as he works there although if your outside Dublin the Courier might work out expensive. Myself and Brian bought ours from Germany Tecknikdirekt, no problems with shipping arrived perfect on a Pallet.

Snake

twenty8

Thanks Snake. I will check both out.
I also check out www.avcdirect.co.uk and they can deliver for approx €1300. Would this be the same as the Irish model? What about the tuner? Would it have UHF?? What about Tecknikdirekt? Same models?

Thanks,

James

Snake Plisken

Nope thats the PX70 which only has the UHF tuner, no good over here for cable or if your in an area that RTE broadcast on VHF band. Here's the link for Tecknik http://www.technikdirekt.de/main/en/lcd-plasma-tv/plasma-tv/150262/-/Article.html?&bigimg=1&SESSIONID=jkncu355j0bilk454xr25dii-2&landingCountry=ie
Its dropped well in price I paid 1399 for it 6 weeks ago and now its 1231 add 80 on for shipping. Have to say I was impressed the way they shipped it on a pallet wrapped in kind of sellophene no damage to box.

The set is fine here is a page I setup to show how it arrived and how I set it up http://members.chello.ie/manonfire/default.htm

Hope this helps let me know if you need to know anything else.

Snake

Grandie

Hi there

I'm looking at getting a 42inch plasma and am loking at the following 2

Panasonic TH42PX70
Pioneer PDP427XD

Which one is the better plasma? Looks like the Pioneer is more expensive but is it better?

Thanks

Grandie

Snake Plisken

The Pio is more expensive, and there are a couple of known issues that put me off buying it, 1)Dirty Screen syndrome :- Some owners have posted over on AV forums that they get an effect theat the screen looks dirty or dusty in patches.
2) Seems to be easier to get Screen burn or image retention on the set.
3) Some sets have a loud buzzing noise coming from the back ,all Plasma sets do this to a degree, but it seems particulary loud on some of the Pio sets.
Also looks like Pio are releasing a new range of sets in the coming months which will superseed these older sets.

I went with the Panasonic 42PV71 and so far no issues, you need to lower the settings for the first 200 hours but thats recommended for all plasmas. No issue with image retention or screen burn with channel logos etc, decent enough SD picture, Satellite sky etc is good, both blu-Ray & HD-DVD looks brilliant on it and its great for gaming too.
Also don't know where u live but the PX version only has UHF tuner in it which means won't work on cable in ireland.

Hope this helps

Snake