Toshiba 50H72 vs Panny 47 or 53WX42? (1 Viewer)

[ManW_TheUncool]

Hi all. This is sort of a spin-off from the thread about the Panny 56HX41 4x3 set. I figure I'd start a new thread to ask for help in my decision between the TVs in question.

Originally, I was set to get the Toshiba 4x3 set, but the discussion in the other thread PLUS what I've been reading about the Panny widescreens are really making me rethink my choice.

My original intention was for the set to do maybe 70/30 4x3 viewing (including some non-16x9 DVDs and LDs) vs 16x9 DVDs--no HDTV viewing in the near future. But now, I think we might end up doing the reverse of 30/70 and just limit the 4x3 viewing to some sports (5%?) and some LDs/DVDs of 4x3 TV shows and movies (10%?) and letterboxed movies (15%?). Other stuff like the kids' videos and regular TV viewing can stick w/ our old 32" direct-view in another room.

Given the possible shift in viewing habit, I'm starting to think maybe I should just go w/ one of the Panny WX42's instead.

My main concern is image quality across the range of programming I just mentioned. I don't want to use any stretch modes for 4x3 content, and don't really mind the smaller 4x3 image size on a 16x9 set--it'll still be much larger than my 32" direct-view. I'm more concerned about possible quality loss w/ the reprocessing of 4x3 content even in normal mode w/ the black/grey side bars--and of course, the zoom mode image for letterboxed DVDs matters also. This reprocessing issue and the zoom thing are what's detering me most about going w/ a WX42.

Is the 4x3 reprocessing really that noticeable? Does the zooming of letterboxed movies look bad on the Panny's or still pretty good, but not great?

On the Toshiba side, there's the 540p upconversion issue that knocks it down a tad and keeps the Panny wides in the running.

And as if that wasn't enough, throw in the fact that the Panny 53" (not 47") costs about the same as the Toshiba and would give me a noticeably bigger (and more immersive) widescreen experience.

Sounds like both TVs are fairly tweakable w/out doing anything drastic. So what this probably boils down to is how "bad" do the Panny's look in 4x3 and zoom mode?

Your help and advices are much appreciated...

Best regards,

_Man_

 

[MichaelFusick]

Calibrated the Panny's have a very nice picture quality to cost ratio.
The best of all RPTV's...
They not fully loaded sets...but they don't cost that either, and have quite the calibrated picture.
Cheap cabinet and lack of features and OOB quality does not bother some who are on a tight budget.
In the price range (less than 2K) nothing really touches them...
I would recommend the Panny

 

[ManW_TheUncool]

Oh, I just thought of something else.

With the Panny WX42's, how delicate are the screens since they are not protected like the WX52's??

We have 2 little kids and occasionally more w/ visitors. However, we don't expect much trouble from the kids since they have a separate playroom and are not allowed to get too wild in the family room where the new TV will be. The occasional finger prints will be inevitable, but there shouldn't be any projectile objects and such to worry about.

So should I be concerned about the lack of a protective screen?

Thanks again.

_Man_

 

[Patrick Sun]

With kids, probably a protective screen is the way to go (though it adds another $100-$200 to the price of the set with the WX52 series).

 

[MichaelFusick]

If you can live without it.. it's better.

Much better picture and much less glare.

 

[ManW_TheUncool]

Can somebody reassure me about the Panny's 4x3 viewing?

Again, I don't want to use stretch modes AND will sometimes (maybe upto 20%) need to do zooming for 4x3 letterboxed movies.

Unfortunately, this kind of stuff is impossible to tell on a chain store showroom floor like Circuit City or Best Buy. They usually just run their demo loop in HiDef and nothing else.

Thanks.

_Man_

 

[Jan Strnad]

Children = Get A Protective Screen

BTW, I wouldn't rule out the Tosh because of upconversion. It's really a non-issue IMO, especially with the new sets.

Other factors matter much more, like the deal you're getting, the room you have for the set (Tosh are about 6" shallower), better OOB quality, better color fidelity without ISF tweaking, etc.

Whichever set you choose, though, keep in mind that most letterboxed movies these days are anamorphic, so they won't need any zooming. The non-anamorphics will require zooming to fill the screen and resolution will suffer, but you'll still get a decent picture that won't sidetrack your viewing pleasure.

As for 4x3 viewing, I'm sure the Panny is just fine. The quality of the picture will depend more on the quality of the signal you're getting than on anything else.

Jan

 

[ManW_TheUncool]

Thanks again for the great input, Jan.
I decided against a Toshiba widescreen because the 50" set is significantly more expensive and still a tad smaller than the Panny 53". From what I've been reading, it sounds like this year's Panny's are a lot more competitive OOB and don't really take a backseat to the Toshiba's. Also, they seem to be a lot more tweakable than years past, which sounds good to me.
I'm not sure about the upconversion thing since Michael_TLV did report about improvements this year. However, I've always found 16x9 downconversion somewhat distracting in certain images, so the upconversion does give me a nagging feeling unless I can test it thoroughly for myself, which I cannot w/out going to a high-end dealer and pay much closer to the MSRP--that would blow my budget if I actually chose a Toshiba.
And w/ the savings from the Panny, I can buy more DVDs and even replace some of the old LDs and non-16x9 DVDs(!). That would solve part of my original dilemma.
Thanks again, and Happy Turkey Day!
_Man_

 

[Jan Strnad]

Sounds like you've got it figured out! Enjoy!

Jan

 

[Kevin. W]

Man-Fai,
Just picked up a Panny 47wx52 three weeks ago(Free RP62 and $240CDN in rebates were a deciding factor). Very pleased with it OOB. It does need a little calibration and thanks to www.panny.tv I should be able to do most myself. Once I get it paid off then I'll look into and ISF calibration.
Kevin

 

[ManW_TheUncool]

Thanks for the input, Kevin.
Here's a slightly off-topic question for you that just occurred to me. If you have it, how does the new Lord of the Rings: Extended Edition DVD look on it??
I'm dying to see it on the new TV. THIS is exactly the DVD that pushed me over the edge after I sat on the fence for more than a year. I'm finding it harder and harder to watch this movie on our 32" direct-view, especially now that I'm getting a big new TV. :p
Best regards,
_Man_

 

[Kevin. W]

how does the new Lord of the Rings: Extended Edition DVD look on it??

Excellent for a set I have yet to fully calibrate.

Kevin