Ave,

For someone who had a $1100 budget, I'm stretching as it is, and thus the $100 difference is critical. That said, I need to decide between these sets:

TH-42PZ77U - $1,299
TH-42PZ700U - $1,399
TH-42PZ80U - $1,499

The difference is $100 - What I need to know is, is there any "Real World" practical difference that I will see or feel in these sets?

This is for a bedroom.
Viewing distance: 5' to 6'
Main Device Usage: SD Cable, XBOX360, HD-DVD, SD DVD's, HD Cable.

Room is usually dark - not too brightly lit or anything.

Would I really see a Worthwhile, Noticeable Difference (I'm basically only concerned about PQ Experience for my bedroom, not really too concerned about inputs, audio etc.) in going with the more expensive one instead of the lower one?

Thanks!!

PS: I'm planning on ordering tomorrow - so I'd really appreciate any help I can get!

700u is too dim for my tastes, I would get the 80u.

What about 77U then? Or is that same as 700U?

I have a 50" TH-50PX60U down in the media room - and love it! Are these same, better or different then that?

The 77u has a matted screen to make it less prone to glare, similar to LCDs. It's agreed upon that the matted screen reduced detail and makes the picture more fuzzy. I'd rather get the 700u than the 77u, no question.

Go to Costco & the get the TH-42PZ700U for $1,099.99 with a 2 year Warranty & 90 days to return it if you don't like it.

The Costco Sale is March 24th - 30th. A 1 year Costco membership will cost you $50.00 so just figure that the $50.00 is for a 1 Year Entended Warranty.

The TH-42PZ700U is not up on their website yet but maybe it will be tonight at midnight? They also offer Free Shipping if you can't pick it up.

Panasonic TH-42PZ700U
Regular Price $1,299.99
Costco Coupon 200.00 OFF
----------------------------
TOTAL $ 1,099.99

Check through the threads because there is one titled something like
PZ700 vs PX80.

I'm giving the 42" PZ700 to my daughter as a birthday present for her bedroom tv & my neighbor has the 50" PZ700 & believe me it is bright enough unless your bedroom is OVERLY BRIGHT & has a lot of windows that might reflect on the screen. I also chose the PZ700 over the PZ77 & PX80 because my daughter is not going to be using a surround sound system in her bedroom with it & the PZ700 has the best sound quality of the 3 with better speakers & better audio amp.

Ave,

For someone who had a $1100 budget, I'm stretching as it is, and thus the $100 difference is critical. That said, I need to decide between these sets:

TH-42PZ77U - $1,299
TH-42PZ700U - $1,399
TH-42PZ80U - $1,499

The difference is $100 - What I need to know is, is there any "Real World" practical difference that I will see or feel in these sets?

This is for a bedroom.
Viewing distance: 5' to 6'
Main Device Usage: SD Cable, XBOX360, HD-DVD, SD DVD's, HD Cable.

Room is usually dark - not too brightly lit or anything.

Would I really see a Worthwhile, Noticeable Difference (I'm basically only concerned about PQ Experience for my bedroom, not really too concerned about inputs, audio etc.) in going with the more expensive one instead of the lower one?

Thanks!!

PS: I'm planning on ordering tomorrow - so I'd really appreciate any help I can get!
I'm actually in same situation as you.
I've been waiting for costco's 42PZ700U deal for a while now. ~$1179 OTD
But recently I saw the new 42PZ80U for a pretty good price at Amazon. ~1356 Shipped
I still debating if it's worth the $177 going with the 42PZ80U. It's main benefit over the 42PZ700U is the 100,000 hrs life compared 60,000 hrs life and 20,000:1 CR compared 5000:1 CR. Although the 42PZ00U does has more inputs, better sound, and 2 years warranty compare to 1 . This is a noobish question but is Amazon a authorize dealer of these TVs? In other word will Panasonic honor my warranty if I was to break.
Also anyone know how much of mprovement the 20000:1 contrast does to the picture quality.

It's main benefit over the 42PZ700U is the 100,000 hrs life compared 60,000 hrs life and 20,000:1 CR compared 5000:1 CR. Although the 42PZ00U does has more inputs, better sound, and 2 years warranty compare to 1 . This is a noobish question but is Amazon a authorize dealer of these TVs? In other word will Panasonic honor my warranty if I was to break.
Also anyone know how much of mprovement the 20000:1 contrast does to the picture quality.

Actually, even I'd like to know the 'Actual' benefit of the 20,000:1 Contrast Ratio over 5000:1 CR.

I'm not sure where you got 700U has 'more' inputs from though - The 80U has 3 HDMI, 700U has only 2. I do like the fact that 700U has 2 Year Warranty though.

Actually, even I'd like to know the 'Actual' benefit of the 20,000:1 Contrast Ratio over 5000:1 CR.

I'm not sure where you got 700U has 'more' inputs from though - The 80U has 3 HDMI, 700U has only 2. I do like the fact that 700U has 2 Year Warranty though.

I just meant it has the VGA pc input. But I highly will not use it anyways. I think I'll just buy the 42PZ700U and use it for now until the price of the 46'-50' 1080p goes down.

I just meant it has the VGA pc input. But I highly will not use it anyways. I think I'll just buy the 42PZ700U and use it for now until the price of the 46'-50' 1080p goes down.

I'm really torn between the 700U & 80U - I mean for me the actual difference is only $100, but it's a big difference with my budget stretched for far - I just very specifically want to know if I'll gain 'Anything' in terms of PQ, or a Significant Difference in going for the 80U over 70U.

720p 42" 80u is $999 at Amazon or Circuit City this week. No brainer there.

When you're talking about a $100-$200 difference for something you'll likely keep 5+ years.....it should be a no-brainer to go with the newer 80U.

My vote is for the 80U as well...

Chris

720p 42" 80u is $999 at Amazon or Circuit City this week. No brainer there.

Great deal....love my 42PX80U. Got a better deal then the above however that is over. Amazon is a no brainer with no tax and free shipping. :cool:

I'm really torn between the 700U & 80U - I mean for me the actual difference is only $100, but it's a big difference with my budget stretched for far - I just very specifically want to know if I'll gain 'Anything' in terms of PQ, or a Significant Difference in going for the 80U over 70U.
My budget is very much like yours too, around ~$1100-$1200. I could add a few more hundreds but I also want a Blu-Ray player. It would be kind of worthless to have a HDTV without any high-def player. With the $177 I saved from the 42PZ700U, it could go toward buying a PS3 for a Blu-Ray player mostly. Already have a xbox 360 for gaming.

Ok, I just got back from the SEARS and Best Buy. And although it's not a direct comparison between the 42PZ700U and the 42PZ80U, its close enough. At Sears they had a 42PX80U next to a 42PZ700U. From what I saw, everything look the same except for when there is bright areas on the screen the 42PX80U seem to have be a tad brighter. It is not really noticable if you don'y pay close attention. I also went over to Best Buy and they had the 42PX80U and the 42PZ80U next to each other. Both TVs were displaying a basketball game in HD and to me they look exactly the same. The lights and darks and color was exactly the same. I know that the 42PZ80U has 20,000:1 CR compare to the 42PX80U's 15,000:1 CR but they both look exactly the same while I was there. Going from what I observed I think I'll just get the 42PZ700U from Costco since PQ seems to be identical with 42PZ80U.

Great deal....love my 42PX80U. Got a better deal then the above however that is over. Amazon is a no brainer with no tax and free shipping. :cool:
The original poster was probably looking for a TV with 1080P too though.

The original poster was probably looking for a TV with 1080P too though.

For the price difference...he should try and view these sets if possible to see if he is even able to see the difference. Also depends on his viewing distance as to whether or not he will be able enjoy the added resolution 1080p has to offer. :cool:

The 80u will give you a brighter picture, the 700u will give you more resolution.
As said above it will depend on your viewing distance as to which matters more.
But if you are considering the 700u, why not the 1080P 85U which will be better than the 700u across the board most likely?

I think he was talking about Picture Quality & Price & to me the Costco PZ700 deal is the best around.

Yes, the PZ85 will have a slightly better picture but the sound quality won't be as good as the PZ700 & your talking about $400 to & $500 more for a PZ85 & I hate to say it but I think before I bought a PZ85 I would save up for the PZ800.

For a little over a $1,000 I still think the PZ700 is the way to go & on top of it I also think the PZ700 is a lot nicer looking set (Bezel & Etc) compared to Panny's new designs.

I also would'nt be surprised to see the 42" PX80 going for $699.99 on Black Friday because last year BrandsMart USA had the 42" PX75 for $798.88 on Black Friday & for the Following week.

The 80u will give you a brighter picture, the 700u will give you more resolution.
As said above it will depend on your viewing distance as to which matters more.
But if you are considering the 700u, why not the 1080P 85U which will be better than the 700u across the board most likely?

He's looking at the 700u vs. the pz80u, which have the same resolution. The pz80u is also virtually the same as the pz85u except for the contrast ratio difference (20,000 vs. 30,000), bezel design, 3rd hdmi input location, and cpu input.

Oops, my bad. Thought I saw PX80u.
Although 50% more native contrast would equate to a noticeably better PQ.

Although the OP original question was to chose a 1080p tv, I really don't think he needs it at 42" he would be better off saving the money and getting the 720p 80u. Anyone else agree?

Not at 5'-6'. That close 1080p is pretty important even at 42".

Not at 5'-6'. That close 1080p is pretty important even at 42".

I had a Sony 42E2000 in my bedroom which of course is 720p. Even sitting on the edge of my bed directly in front of the television when playing games the picture was incredible. Sitting back in my bed watching movies at no more than 7-8 ft the picture was still great to look at...maybe not as good as 1080p but still damn good. :cool:

It is all relative. I was just saying for me if I was sitting 5'-6' away from a 42" or a 50" I would 'need' 1080p.
For me at 8' I 'need' 1080p on my 50".

Exactly! I've done my bit of research on Viewing Distance and pretty much everyone recommends 1080p over 720p, as at the lessor viewing distance the 1080p higher resolution really begins to be noticeable, besides, I have quite a few true 1080p sources.

But anyhow - the 700U is getting quite a few votes here and that's pretty comforting, as it saves me $100. I'm still curious to know the actual 'real world' (i.e., not technical spec sheet) difference between 20,000:1 CR vs 5,000:1 CR.

I know that I've stated inputs aren't important - but I will certainly miss the 3rd HDMI input on the 80U, although I'm not going to pay $100 for it.

So I guess, I'm really looking at the PQ difference - if there's none between the 700U & 80U, I'll go with 700U.

Thanks Guys!

Exactly! I've done my bit of research on Viewing Distance and pretty much everyone recommends 1080p over 720p, as at the lessor viewing distance the 1080p higher resolution really begins to be noticeable, besides, I have quite a few true 1080p sources.

But anyhow - the 700U is getting quite a few votes here and that's pretty comforting, as it saves me $100. I'm still curious to know the actual 'real world' (i.e., not technical spec sheet) difference between 20,000:1 CR vs 5,000:1 CR.

I know that I've stated inputs aren't important - but I will certainly miss the 3rd HDMI input on the 80U, although I'm not going to pay $100 for it.

So I guess, I'm really looking at the PQ difference - if there's none between the 700U & 80U, I'll go with 700U.

Thanks Guys!

The 700U is going to appear less brighter than the 80U, due to increase in foot-Lamberts (fL). I would definitely go with the 80U. At the screen size and depending on seating position, 1080p isn't going to make a huge difference.

Chris

Why do people keep saying that 1080P don't matter? How come when I'm viewing a HD trailer I've download online on my 24' 1920x 1200 lcd I could clearly see the difference in PQ between 1080P trailer and the 720P trailer even after moving back a considerable distance. The color also looks a lot better in the 1080P trailer too. Is HD TVs different from this?

The 700U is going to appear less brighter than the 80U, due to increase in foot-Lamberts (fL). I would definitely go with the 80U. At the screen size and depending on seating position, 1080p isn't going to make a huge difference.

Chris

I saw the PX80 at BB recently, and noticed SDE from as far away as 5 feet, so that viewing distance is risky if it were my eyes. I would go with the 700U at 5-6 feet as well.

I saw the PX80 at BB recently, and noticed SDE from as far away as 5 feet, so that viewing distance is risky if it were my eyes. I would go with the 700U at 5-6 feet as well.

I think he is recommending the pz80u, which is 1080p with a higher contrast ratio of 20000:1. Actually, I'm not sure, I don't know how the px80u jumped into things.

Well I definitely don't want to get into the 720p vs 1080p debate because as far as that is concerned, my mind is made up - I definitely want 1080p. Even i'm not sure where the PX80 jumped in!!

I'm heavily leaning towards the 80U now since a lot of you are saying I'll get noticeably better PQ. I also like the 3 HDMI & 100,000 Hrs Life on it - better then 700U. I'm not sure what improvement the 20,000:1 CR brings over 5000:1 CR - but I'm assuming it's good!!

I'm still hanging on a day or two before I pull the trigger!

I love my 700u. Fantastic picture for TV, Bluray and PC use. That said, I do have a few complaints. I suggest looking for these issues in the new line.

#1 Floating white level. The more white on the screen at once, the more dim the image. Probably something that is more noticeable when using the display on a PC, but it has caught my eye in a few movies.

#2 Overall brightness. It's excellent in a dark room. If you have light coming in the room from windows etc., go for the brighter display.

#3 Reflected image viewable when off angle. I sit directly in front of my display, so I don't often see this issue. However, if I look from an angle, I can easily see the image reflecting inside the plasma. I have read this is a Panasonic plasma issue. I have not read up or viewed the new models to find out if that issue is still around.

#4 Color accuracy. While I find the color on the 700 to be excellent, I'm still a little bothered by the green tone (a tad yellow) and the hotness of the red. For Bluray and TV, I use CNET's dark room settings (Cinema, pic +27, low brightness, color temp warm. I forget the full details right now). For PC and video games, I use Vivid, pic +30, low brightness, color temp normal.

Good luck!

The 700U is going to appear less brighter than the 80U, due to increase in foot-Lamberts (fL). I would definitely go with the 80U. At the screen size and depending on seating position, 1080p isn't going to make a huge difference.

Chris

5'-6'? How close do you think you need to be to appreciate the extra resolution?
I can see where @8' or more but at 5'-6'?

Is the TH-42PZ80U that I'm looking at a new 2008 model?

I don't understand why Circuity City doesn't carry any of the 42" 1080p Plasma's at all. I have there Card and I usually shop there - and I'd like to get the whatever 'no interest' deal they are running - but they just don't seem to have any 42" 1080p's.

I was hoping to go to a store & compare the TH-42PZ700U & TH-42PZ80U - but I can't find one which carries both. Only seeing them online.

Other then that - I'm still not 100% decided. While I keep hearing people tell me that 80U is great and a good choice - I'm yet to hear a 700U owner complain.
I don't know.

Ok, I just got back from the SEARS and Best Buy. And although it's not a direct comparison between the 42PZ700U and the 42PZ80U, its close enough. At Sears they had a 42PX80U next to a 42PZ700U.

I think you got some bad info from the salesperson. Sears does not carry the PZ700u. They only carry the 42PZ77u as their 42" 1080p set. I think thay also carried the PX75 and PX77 in the 42 inch size.

Well my daughter went to her Costco today (March 24th) in Miami & they only got 8 sets in, She was there at around 1:00, & they had already sold 2, 3 counting the one she got but it would'nt fit in her car so she has untill 8:30 tonight to get back there & pick it up. So the Miami store now has only 5 left as of 1:30.

She does have someone with a van, I think, that is going back with her & help het get it home.

My neighbor's Costco in CT got 10 of them in & when she called
at Noon they told her they had sold a few of them & if she wanted one not to wait & get in as soon as possible because they seemed to be going fast & might be gone today.

So if you want to get in on the Costco deal on the 42" PZ700 I would get in their as sooon as you can.

My daughter told me when she asked to see one she was told that none were put on display because they got so few in & they knew they would sell everyone they had so they din't want to open any of them up.

I'm heavily leaning towards the 80U now since a lot of you are saying I'll get noticeably better PQ. I also like the 3 HDMI & 100,000 Hrs Life on it - better then 700U. I'm not sure what improvement the 20,000:1 CR brings over 5000:1 CR - but I'm assuming it's good!!Since the TV is going in a dark room then i think you might want the higher contrast ratio and reportedly better black levels of the PZ80U.

Oh by the way the PZ700U (along with all the other 2007 models) is rated at 100,000 hours just like the 2008 models are.

thx i'll be getting the 42PZ80U over the 700u and PX80u because of 1080p, 3 HDMI, 100,000 Half life and most importantly better blacks and its Newer! can get it for $1300 on Amazon. Think the price will drop in a month or two?

I finally jump the gun and got the 42PZ700U. I place the TV in the my living room and the brightness is just about right. I had to tone it down a bit to reduce straining my eyes. Overall pretty happy with the TV except:
:mad:Damn Costco made pay an extra $10 on some CA waiste law **** I've never heard of before and they made me paid for the original $1299.99 tax instead of the $1099.99. Overall I paid $1205 OTD and I am a little bum because for $150 moreI could have gotten the 42PZ80U on Amazon. The 42PZ700u is really great TV and the sound is quite good. Guess I won't need to hook up my surround system to it. I think I will use is for now and return it before the 90 days end. I'm thinking of getting a 50' now and not caring to much if it's 720P or 1080P on Amazon.

I just picked my 42PZ700U from the Old Westbury, NY Costco. For those interested, they had six units on the floor and about 20+ in the storage shelves above the floor.

The salesperson in the TV section told me they would be moving all the 700Us to the entrance of the store and expected them to be sold out by Thursday. Apparently lots of people have coming trying to buy the sets early and price matching them.

There was a coupon booked mailed out to costco members earlier this year that had a $200.00 coupon for the 42pz700 for this week only. You need that coupon to get the set in-store for 1099.

Does anyone know if the power consumption has improved on the 42PZ80U over last years 42PZ700U?

According to the Panasonic website, the PZ80 uses less power by 1.2%. :p

The 80 weighs less by 21% though...two fewer speakers, probably cheaper power supply.

Since the TV is going in a dark room then i think you might want the higher contrast ratio and reportedly better black levels of the PZ80U.

Oh by the way the PZ700U (along with all the other 2007 models) is rated at 100,000 hours just like the 2008 models are.

Is this true because I saw in various sites with 2007 model @ 60,000 hrs half life. If the 2007 model is indeed 100,000 half life then I'm sticking with my 42PZ700U than. Anyone can confirm this? The only thing I hate about my PZ700u is the butt ugly picture quality from comcast basic analog cable. I sure didn't think it was going to be that bad. Everything like DVD and up looks great on it though. Guess if the 100,000 half life then is true, then I will stick with this model and use the extra $150 I've save for dishnetwork's dishHD package. Anyone now the quality of dishNetwork's HD? Service?