Samsung v Panasonic

[Kudos]

I know this is perhaps how long is apiece of string, but I'm thinking of treating myself to a new TV. Was looking at one of the Samsung series 8 TVs, but then also saw the Panasonic and I know how well they are thought of on here. Was planning on going the whole hog with 3D bluray and sound bar type affair.

So, any thought good or bad?

[craigjm]

Go somewhere where you can test the two you are looking at side by side with content you are familiar with. All you will get here really is fanboyism from one side or the other which wont really help along with maybe one person who owns / works in TV sales that will give you a balanced view. No replacement for your own test drive.

[tdm34]

just make sure wherever you do your side by side demo, that you ask them to set the light level to the same as
you watch at home if possible.

Because an overly bright environment will favour a LCD set over a plasma, but both the D8000 series and VT50 series
sets are capable of excellent results.

But I honestly think the VT50 shades it.

[craigjm]

tdm34 said:

just make sure wherever you do your side by side demo, that you ask them to set the light level to the same as
you watch at home if possible.

Because an overly bright environment will favour a LCD set over a plasma, but both the D8000 series and VT50 series
sets are capable of excellent results.

But I honestly think the VT50 shades it.

I think the deciding factor will be the other features the TV's offer in terms of SMART ability etc.

[tdm34]

craigjm said:

I think the deciding factor will be the other features the TV's offer in terms of SMART ability etc.

I find that statement amazing, whilst understanding that the "Smart" ability of the TV set is important, I always thought the most important quality of a set is its picture quality!

There are many ways of getting "smart" tech through a TV, with a PS3 being the obvious solution.

[craigjm]

tdm34 said:

I find that statement amazing, whilst understanding that the "Smart" ability of the TV set is important, I always thought the most important quality of a set is its picture quality!

There are many ways of getting "smart" tech through a TV, with a PS3 being the obvious solution.

Indeed, what I meant was that he will probably conclude that the picture and sound quality are extremely similar once he has tested both so his decision may come down to other things. With some people it may even come down to the design of the damn case!

[maxfan]

Cai I just say your original post in this is one of the truist (?) things written

[IforB]

Both are excellent and you won't be unhappy with either. I tried both and went for the Panny as I preferred the fast motion handling, but there was naff all in it really.

Both have got some excellent features.

There's no right or wrong answer to this one really, you just might mildly prefer one to the other for some inexplicable reason.

[nando]

I prefer LG. Cheaper, nearly as good, and both mine work faultlessly.

[vx220]

Panasonic for plasma
But Samsung for led
During quiet times we've had both side by side
Samsung led much better for motion handling than Panasonic led
If not a gamer then Panasonic plasma

[Dave Dax builder]

Just make sure you get it from somewhere that throws in a free 5 year warranty!
I have a 55" LED Samsung that is almost 2 years old and the top corner of the screen is now going off colour.
Samsung say they won't fix it as it's out of warranty, this set was £2300 when I bought it.
12 months warranty is not really good enough for something that is (by the selling price) a "Premium product".

[vx220]

Our local independent does a free five year warranty
Worthless on a led/plasma as most faults can't be repaired and the free warranties seem to be parts and labour
...and get it in writing, these guys won't

[marcosgt]

Panasonic then

Must admit, of all the tech I've ever bought, my Panasonic plasma TV (only a 37") is one of the few things that nearly every day makes me glad I picked it.

Great picture quality on HD and SD signals.

M.

[craigjm]

vx220 said:

Our local independent does a free five year warranty
Worthless on a led/plasma as most faults can't be repaired and the free warranties seem to be parts and labour
...and get it in writing, these guys won't

The John Lewis free 5 year guarantees are pretty good

http://www.johnlewis.com/Help/Help.aspx?HelpId=9#g...

[madcaplaughs]

The Samsung led is brighter than the plasma Panasonic but the motion handling of the plasma is far superior. Picture quality is excellent on both but again the Panasonic is superior and has the THX award for superlative picture quality. Both sets are smart tvs and offer similar software, so go for the Panasonic it's worth the extra money.

[vx220]

I would definitely have pana plasma over sams led
If you play games grab the led
If you get the pana use a sound bar or home cinema but with most samsungs you can simply plug one of the Bose companions into the headphone sockets, sounds loads better than any similarly priced home cinemas
But don't do this with Panasonic as they have a strange logic to their volume controls

[tdm34]

Will people stop calling the Samsung set an LED, because its not!
it's an LCD set thats light source is an array of LEDs behind the screen.

Panasonics volume system shows a degree of intelligence, because the headphone socket
has its own volume control in the sound menu, primarily for people who are hard of hearing but have other people who view the set that aren't, if you connect anything to the headphone socket of most sets it cuts out the sound to the sets main speakers, with the Panasonic you can have the main speakers on at whatever volume you require and a set of headphones at a completely differant volume.

[henrycrun]

Has anyone been able to try out a TV remote control for themselves in John Lewis ?
I'd like to be able to go through the menus for the wife who can be a bit cack handed with little buttons

[craigjm]

henrycrun said:

Has anyone been able to try out a TV remote control for themselves in John Lewis ?
I'd like to be able to go through the menus for the wife who can be a bit cack handed with little buttons

Yeah I have done that. I wanted to look around the SMART features and menu systems as part of my choice of new TV and they did allow that. One thing it made me realise is that no matter how good the Samsung TV's are the remotes are very cheap feeling.

[Oakey]

Dave Dax builder said:

Just make sure you get it from somewhere that throws in a free 5 year warranty!
I have a 55" LED Samsung that is almost 2 years old and the top corner of the screen is now going off colour.
Samsung say they won't fix it as it's out of warranty, this set was £2300 when I bought it.
12 months warranty is not really good enough for something that is (by the selling price) a "Premium product".

Sales of Goods Act? Aren't expensive items supposed to last for a reasonable amount of time? I think a court would agree something that cost £2300 should last longer than 2 years!