Which 37" LCD? How about TX37LZD85?

[munky]

Dear knowledgeable folk,

The father in law wants a 37" LCD, I'm told his requirements are 100Hz, Full HD, and 24fps capability. He thinks the Panasonic TX37LZD85 is the closest match to his requirements.

Now, I found the following review:

http://www.hdtvtest.co.uk said:

Panasonic TX37LZD85 Conclusion
by David Mackenzie 24 May 2008

Pros
Handles 1080p/24 video signal correctly without telecine judder
Low input lag (great for gamers)
Great viewing angle
Great panel uniformity (lack of clouding/ mura)
Great motion resolution
Great colour decoding accuracy
Clear and easily readable EPG
Substantial remote control
Cons
Forced edge enhancement lowers overall detail and creates halos, even on 1080p sources
Forced MPEG Noise Reduction on DVB input gives artificial appearance to digital broadcasts and lowers detail (but also reduces compression artefacts)
100hz system can't be disabled, and can occasionally create interpolation artefacts
Forced temporal noise reduction can cause smearing in picture
No 3:2/ 2:2 cadence recovery ("Film Mode") at all
EPG has slight lag
No backlight control, so light output of panel cannot be tailored to individual preference
Remote must be aimed directly at infrared sensor
Conclusion
The Panasonic TX37LZD85 is a difficult LCD HDTV to review, because how much you like it will depend upon your tolerance to what are essentially inaccuracies in the pictures it produces. Panasonic's designers appear to be targeting customers who would be intimidated by a huge array of picture tweaks, who would feel more comfortable with a lower number of more familiar options, more reminiscent of the days of CRT displays. If you're one of these people and you want an HDTV which will let you view compression artefact-free Freeview pictures and photos without conventional LCD blur, and still give you the capability to watch HD broadcasts, then you may find that its limitations don't bother you.

But, if you resent processing going on behind your back and want an accurate picture to fully enjoy HDTV, then the Panasonic TX37LZD85 and the assumptions it makes on your behalf simply aren't for you. I've always felt the basics of HDTV are clear, accurate, detailed pictures, and many of this LCD television's features – forced edge enhancement, forced noise reduction, lack of manual backlight control, forced MPEG noise reduction on the digital tuner, and the inability to disable 100hz motion interpolation – work against these goals.

Is the list of cons justified? Is the reviewer correct? e.g. I thought that 100Hz and motion interpolation were two different things? (100Hz being the refresh rate and the motion interpolation being a system of comparing 2 actual frames and inserting calculated frames between them). Surely the motion interpolation can be switched off?

Alternatively, is there a "better" (or even just alternative) 37" LCD that's worth looking at?

Different question - do plasmas still have any advantages over LCDs?

many thanks!

[Plotloss]

Plasma is better but its academic because there isnt a 37" Plasma any more.

Why does he believe he needs 1080p?

KRL-37V is the king of the 37"s if you can find one.

[derestrictor]

Bar the 37X10.

Just had a couple of new gen TXL-37G10s in but they went faster than the caramel slices at evensong.

{Can't he be persuaded to jump up to a TXP-42G10 plasma? Tiny quantity in asap - 600Hz and blue neons for showboating around tha' toon!}

Edited by derestrictor on Tuesday 24th March 16:16

[Plotloss]

Ah I didnt know the 37" versions had landed.

So much for being kept in the loop by the Northern office.

[derestrictor]

[munky]

Plotloss said:

Plasma is better but its academic because there isnt a 37" Plasma any more.

Why does he believe he needs 1080p?

Why wouldn't he? Is it not worth it / not noticeably better on a 37"?

Plotloss said:

KRL-37V is the king of the 37"s if you can find one.

Why is it better than the Panasonic? I'm uninformed in these matters..

cheers

[derestrictor]

You absolutely do not need 1080p at 37".

[Plotloss]

To get any benefit at all from 1080p on a 37" he will need to be 7' or less from the screen. To obtain maximum benefit he will need to be 4'8" from the screen.

If he is within these distances, fine, if not, pointless.

The Pioneer is superior in just about every way, chassis, backlighting, processing, colour. That is not however to say that the Panasonic LCD isnt a good choice.

The new Panny Plasma could be a good choice. General technological superiority and a new generation model should add up to an impressive package.

[munky]

Plotloss said:

To get any benefit at all from 1080p on a 37" he will need to be 7' or less from the screen. To obtain maximum benefit he will need to be 4'8" from the screen.

If he is within these distances, fine, if not, pointless.

The Pioneer is superior in just about every way, chassis, backlighting, processing, colour. That is not however to say that the Panasonic LCD isnt a good choice.

The new Panny Plasma could be a good choice. General technological superiority and a new generation model should add up to an impressive package.

His sofa is about 5' from the TV at the nearest point - so is it worth it would you say?

Am I right in saying that new 37" plasma isn't full HD then? (I'm not sure how set on that requirement he is). I suspect 37" is the limitation of the space it needs to fit into, between a fireplace surround (never lit) and a door.

Do plasmas suffer from any reflection issues in a non-darkened room? I'm more a plasma fan than LCD and am looking to purchase some plasma finery in due course but have heard this is an issue?

[munky]

derestrictor said:

Bar the 37X10.

Just had a couple of new gen TXL-37G10s in but they went faster than the caramel slices at evensong.

{Can't he be persuaded to jump up to a TXP-42G10 plasma? Tiny quantity in asap - 600Hz and blue neons for showboating around tha' toon!}

Edited by derestrictor on Tuesday 24th March 16:16

I'll do my best but I don't think he's a blue neon kind of chap! (Actually I think 42" won't fit where he wants it)

[derestrictor]

Sounds too close for a 37 per se: ergo JVC LT-32DR9.

[Plotloss]

I'd say at the distances involved, he'd notice artefacts and signal processing issues in any LCD panel on any source and whilst 1080p might be of limited benefit when hooked up to a BluRay, for what will I guess be in the main used for SD/HD (720p/1080i) content then the 37" Plasma would be the kiddy.

[derestrictor]

At 6' +, yo.

[munky]

Ok.. brilliant.

Now for us.. in our lounge we are 13'4" from the TV (could go further back but we have a speaker behind it) - is a 42" the best bet here? Any bigger and it would be wider than the cabinet it will sit on. Or is 37" fine? Is there such thing as a 40"?

What then is the daddy of the 42" plasma sector? Is it the TXP-42G10 you mention (or the TXP-42G15) or what's the V series I hear about - is it better somehow than the G? Or is the Pioneer Kuro a better bet? And
Sorry for all the questions - I have done some reading up on the technologies but am baffled by the product ranges..

ta!

[derestrictor]

Munkster,

None of this stuff will be free flowing until April but 'demo' stock is finding it's way through: should hopefully be able to give you a decent appraisal of the G10 on Thursday (iirc, the G15 offers no performance gains, just narrower bezel and enhanced scope for networking options [DNLA.])

The V10 series is the potential breakthrough product with a THX certification promising we film buffs some kind of picture quality based salvation in the 42" domain since the demise of Pioneer's 8th gen sets.

The inch thick Z1 will be the visual showstopper featuring a fully wireless, Full HD transmission function - i.e. separate media box which 'beams' to the screen...

This will, however, probably require you to lose a kidney, sadly.

Can't wait!

[munky]

Kidney removal tool on standby! Apparently the new range uses less power as well, with something called Neo PDP.

Can I just ask though, do plasmas have an issue with sunlight reflections (any more than LCD that is) and is a 42" about right for a 13 to 14 ft viewing distance or is a 37" perfectly adequate?

Finally, are we any nearer to OLED or SED?

Thank you muchly

[derestrictor]

Forget OLED for a few years.

[E31Shrew]

derestrictor said:

Munkster,

None of this stuff will be free flowing until April but 'demo' stock is finding it's way through: should hopefully be able to give you a decent appraisal of the G10 on Thursday (iirc, the G15 offers no performance gains, just narrower bezel and enhanced scope for networking options [DNLA.])

The V10 series is the potential breakthrough product with a THX certification promising we film buffs some kind of picture quality based salvation in the 42" domain since the demise of Pioneer's 8th gen sets.

The inch thick Z1 will be the visual showstopper featuring a fully wireless, Full HD transmission function - i.e. separate media box which 'beams' to the screen...

This will, however, probably require you to lose a kidney, sadly.

Can't wait!

I've never known Panasonic take this long to get the new models to 'us' dealers. All we've received so far has been 37, 42 50 HD ready and the 37 Full HD LCD. Have you had any others through yet?

[munky]

Seems the TX37LZD85 is an outgoing model.. so he's now keen on the TX-L37G10 from the new range. Doesn't seem to like the Pioneers for some reason- I think it's the position of the connection sockets.

So, is the TX-L37G10 well rated? I read that it handles SD signals less well than some others in the range. And what price can you fellas do me one for, including the 3 yr guarantee? Delivery would be needed to Bournemouth.

[UncappedTag]

I have the same screen as mentioned by the op, been very please with it . There is a massive thread about it on www.avforums.com