P1 Enthusiast

Just decided to finally take the plunge and get one;

Have just over a grand max to spend really and have to choose really between new one and a really good second hand deal i got offered.

Philips 32PW9617 Pixel Plus with stand for 1150
or: Hitachi 32inch 100Hz (retails for 1300) for 650 2nd hand

Not sure on exact model for hitachi. Now question is this, on review for hitachi it says stunning picture and it looks it, but the TV is 2 years old. Philips is brand new and the pixel plus seems to make a noticeable difference. Both come with rear speakers and stands.

I really dont know too much about it and my heart wants the Philips but i cannot help thinking that for 500 quid if you put both of them next to each i couldnt bloody tell the difference except the philips looks better and i would be 500 notes to the good with the Hitachi.

Chris

p.s. Warranty isnt a problem as its got a 5 yr guarantee on Hitachi (3yrs left) same as what philips comes with.

Knowledgeable advice sought!!

suba

go for the hitachi and save your dosh for a plasma later on

Hobbsy

Watch out with Pixel Plus, make 100% sure that you can put up with the shimmering around objects when they move. I have a 36inch Pixel Plus and a good example of what you have to put up with is in the opening scene when Hugh Grant is walking through the market. Pixel Plus is good but has severe limitations during movement and you may find that you end up turning it off. This all relates to the problems I am having with my set so perhaps I just have a bad one, awaiting service visit from philips today. Will be fair to philips and post back if they say my set is faulty. Also if you want advise on where NOT to buy then give me a call on 020 7475 5077 and I will be happy to oblige

SiCotty

Get some of the latest mags and have a look at the New Loewe Aventos which is about £1100. JVC also have a new set coming out and I am waiting for a review. I've more or less decided on a 44" rear projection myself but still looking at 32" CRT widescreen.

Si

Devil's Refugee

Make sure what you get is true Dolby Surround and not some pseudo set up with only the 3 speakers from the TV.
Hitachi and JVC sometimes use this sort of thing.

Can't go wrong with a Philips, brilliant colours and sound.
I have a normal aspect 29 inch Philips and it's great. The picture is spot on and the sound is incredible for just a TV surround set up.
If you could stretch, try for a 36 inch WS. You might be able to pick one up from the net.

Devil's Refugee

Plasma TV's burn out after 2-3 years, maybe sooner if you leave a static image on it too long.
Do you really want to spend £3k on something which isn't going to last long ?
Also, they're mostly Nicam so you'll need to invest further in a surround set up.

Hobbsy

If the performance of my Philips is anything to go by you definatley can go wrong with a Philips. They have tried to capture the market with Pixel Plus but the technology of the processor and the algorithms for producing the extra lines is just not man enough for the job. As earlier it may just be my set, will know latter when Philips come round to view. Once I get my money back on this one then I also am going to consider a Rear Projection. It seems the technology of these have changed somewhat recently and most of the nasties people associate with this technology have been "ironed out". Si have you seen the Ferguson 44 quite impressed when I saw one of these in Miller Bros. Also be very wary of reviews in magazines as these may not be as independant as you would like to think they are, and also I think manufacturers tweak the sets that go to reviewers and what we buy off the shelf is not what they see. IMHO

chockymonster

I'm looking at the panasonic tau 32" 100hz
I'm only looking at the nicam version as I have a dts setup
The retail is £999 but I can get it online for £740
John lewis will price match any highstreet price, fortunately the online retailer also has a highstreet presence

Scooby-Doo

I have recently purchased a Hitachi 32ZD26P and it is excellent. I paid £860 with free P&P.

Woz

chockymonster
be interested in the website?
alos looking for a 100hz 32in WS
cheers

P1 Enthusiast

Anyone recommend cheap web site or high street retailer that might beat that price on the phillips but would deliver to the oxford area? Bear in mind i used a price comparer net site to check last night, cheapest comparison was like 100 quid more than 1150 for the 32" Philips pixel plus.

gregh

When I looked I personally didn't like the phillips screen at all. My shortlist was a Panasonic (which I bought) or a Sony.

I'd recommend you try and view them somewhere with 'live' TV not DVDs, you see a big difference in 'flicker' depending on the actual source. When showrooms demo TV's with 'perfect' DVDs it's not a real test of what you'll do 90% of the time IMHO

cheers,

Greg

SiCotty

Hobbsy

I've been looking at the New Sony which looks very nice and has a great picture and is resonably priced compared to it's size. I'm planning to feed it with Sky Digital and a high end DVD player. Found out that a nice chunky scart cable makes a big difference as well, especially with the big screen on a rear projector.

Si

P1 Enthusiast

www.pantheronline.co.uk seems to be VERY cheap.

It matches that 1150 offer for the Philips 32 inch pixel plus and is 150 quid cheaper than anyone else on dealtime price comparator site

DrEvil

I recently bought the Sony 36" Wega widescreen, sony centre were knocking them out for £1500... seems very good, does Picture + Picture so I can play games and watch tv

P1Fanatic

Chris,

Sony and Panasonic seem to have the best reps in the widescreen market (within this price range). I have a 32" Wega 100hz which has died on me twice in 2 years. Admittedly the 2nd time was only 1 week after it was repaired so more likely down to dodgy repairs.

I would go for the Panasonic if u can get that for under a grand. £1000 is a lot of money to spend on a Phillips or Hitachi and make a mistake.

Simon.

pslewis

£1299 will get you a 36" TOSHIBA with Dolby + 4 Speakers + 100Hz + 63W RMS + 3 Scarts + Nice Glass Stand - Model 36ZP18 ... SORTED!!

Pete

P1 Enthusiast

Right very confused now, seems the pixel plus processor isnt up to the job at all, so can anyone recommend a damn good 32 inch wide screen telly for under 1200 quid?

alanjack

I have a Sony 32' and now, after 2 years, I am bored with it and would definately go for the LG 42' Plasma at Richer Sounds for £2400 I think. If that is too expensive then even more of a certainty it would be a 36'

Hobbsy

Had my "service" visit from Philips and apparently all the faults that I have are "in the nature of the set" so please be aware of this technology, make sure that you view the types of things you watch before buying. If we have any legal experts on here then please post here as it looks like I am going to have to go legal on this one

Hobbsy

test

P1 Enthusiast

My 32 inch Philips Pixel Plus owns, got it for 1200 inc delivery and 100 quid scart lead for cost from www.empiredirect.co.uk - excellent site - bloody TOP TELLY!

Its really good, cannot say more and the natural motion etc really brings DVDs to life!

tonybooth

My brother has just got:-

SONY 32" 100Hz Widescreen TV with stand
SONY DVD
SONY VCR

All for £799 from the Sony Centre

Top Deal or what?

TONY

C h a z

Loewe,Loewe,Loewe, Loewe, Loewe, Loewe, Loewe, Loewe, Loewe, Loewe, Loewe, Loewe, Loewe, Loewe, Loewe, Loewe, Loewe, Loewe, Loewe, Loewe, Loewe, Loewe, Loewe, Loewe, Loewe, Loewe, Loewe, Loewe,


http://www.bestpricetv.com/Loewe.html

stevem2k

^^ what he said....


( and I have a Sony )


Steve

mark.coleman

People often make the mistake that 100hz is considerably better than 50hz, this is even more convincing when the TV's are line up in a store such as Currys, which is not always the case, some Sony WEGA 50hz TV's will virtually match other brands of 100hz. If you have sight degredation then the 100hz would, in my opinion be a better option due to the flicker free operation.

Consideration should be taken into account for such things as signal strength in your area for terrestrial signals, as 100hz will have no baring on poor reception areas.

If you are looking to plug in DVD, and at a later date seperate home cinema amps, don't read too much into built in virtual surround and Prologic, these are normally a stop gap solution and sometimes poor quality (even prologic II). Most DVD/TV's come with composite, S-Video and RGB connectivity, some even come with component inputs but these are normally on the mid-high end kit. If you get a decent 50hz TV, and a mid range DVD player (£100-£200) and use decent cables you will probably notice little difference between 100hz and a high end DVD using the preffered connections.

You could read some write-ups of various brands of TV's and get conflicting information from one review to another. I would go for the one that you feel comfortable with at the end of the day, try getting them side-by-side. At the end of the day, one persons ideal setup is not another persons.

Mark

[Edited by mark.coleman - 1/9/2003 7:08:22 PM]

Nick200

The panasonic range are pretty good (I have one) they all offer a near perfect picture, I did have a pixel plus phillips and could not live with the over computerised picture and watching dvd's was like watching a camcorded home movie, also dont be put off by 50hz tv's they are now really cheap and I have to say I prefer the picture quality, as for plasma you may as well wait another couple of years untill the price drops to around 1500.

As for plasma's dying after 2-3 years its not true, but it is true that at the age of 2yrs onwards the picture brightness starts to deteriorate year by year due to the gas being burnt up, estimate 2-4 years decent pic then you WILL see the difference.

IMO...

[Edited by Nick200 - 1/9/2003 8:22:42 PM]

P1 Enthusiast

Recommend a panasonic or sony anyone thats the 'best' set for around a grand?

Does anyone even know a TV shop equivalent to richer sounds giving no nonsense accurate TV advice?

[Edited by P1 Enthusiast - 1/9/2003 10:43:34 PM]

Mkhan

P1

I too have a Sony 32" Wega 100 mhz which I am selling because I got bored with it, Got a buyer thou, but if he blows me out I will stick it on the bbs to sell.

But I too would recommend go for 36" if you can..

Anyway Alanjack do yourself a favour and get the LG 42" I bought mine just before xmas from RS for £2568 including Stand and 3 years warranty ... films have never looked so good..

Oh and wasn't bothered about the sound thing as I have the full home cinema setup. As for screen burns everyone is always talking about.... well firstly we have a NEC plasma at work, which we have had for 3 years now and we have never had a problem with the screen, plus if you get yourself 3 years warranty and the screen does burn out, then you get a replacement (new unit) bought to your house .. You cannot go wrong mate...

[Edited by Mkhan - 1/10/2003 2:18:32 PM]