[ralphmalph]

My Toshiba 50H82 (1080i) CRT went out Thursday so I'm going to have repaired and used for kids Wii. I could use any help


Trying to look at budget - looking at two tv's. I can get the Panny and the Hitachi models above for about the same price $1250. Does anyone have any suggestions - this would not be the main television but used for DVD's (upconverting) and football/basketball games. I have DirecTV HD package.


To be honest, at CC I can't tell a lot of difference b/t sets because they have them set to different programs, settings, etc. I'm hung up on the 720p vs 1080i (don't want to spend $$ for the 1080p sets yet) so I feel compelled to buy the Hitachi even though I hear the Panny has better colors.


Anyone who can help me out to pick one?

 

[badmeng]

Go with the Panny, better colors and better blacks.

 

[ralphmalph]

So I shouldn't worry about 720p vs 1080i? I assume the Panny can downscale.

 

[hi im drummer03]

Yeh go Panasonic...

Panasonic will convert 1080i to 720p after a few steps...

 

[markt001]

I just returned the Hitachi to BB. I didn't like the blacks and the bad purple/magenta fringes that appeared in shaded areas.


Go with the Panasonic. Else, step up to the Pioneer 5080 if you can. It's the best I've seen yet.


Me, I'm seriously looking at the Pioneer if my budget allows. Else, it's Panny all the way.


Cheers,


MarkT

 

[ralphmalph]

Thanks - went to CC today and there was a Sharp rep there. He tried to talk about both TV's and then tried to tell me that all broadcasts next February will be 1080p. When I told him that I doubted that ABC, Fox, etc. were all going to spend money to upgrade their systems to a standard when there are relatively few 1080p TV's out there, he told me I was flat out wrong. CC guy tried to tell me the same thing.


No wonder people are confused about televisions.

 

[derek533]

It's going to be a long time before we ever see 1080p broadcasts.


And yes I agree, the sales reps at the B&M stores are worthless. They promote whatever they're told by their managers w/o regard to what the customer's needs are.


Another vote for the Panny btw.

 

[Buckeye911]



Quote:
Originally Posted by ralphmalph /forum/post/12871416


Thanks - went to CC today and there was a Sharp rep there. He tried to talk about both TV's and then tried to tell me that all broadcasts next February will be 1080p. When I told him that I doubted that ABC, Fox, etc. were all going to spend money to upgrade their systems to a standard when there are relatively few 1080p TV's out there, he told me I was flat out wrong. CC guy tried to tell me the same thing.


No wonder people are confused about televisions.

I don't think a sales rep could possibly be that stupid, even if it was his first day on the job. He must have just been outright lying to you.

Like Markt001 said, go with the Pioneer 5080 if your budget can stretch. Otherwise go with the Panasonic.

 

[scooter2002]

They're telling you 1080p broadcasts are a year away?


They're either lying or morons. It will NOT be happening. That's when "digital" programming becomes standard, not 1080p. There's no real reason for broadcasts to go 1080p and they won't do so unnecessarily.


Now on to your original question. I'm one of those with a Hitachi 50H401 and I love it. That's not a dig at other televisions, Panasonics are terrific too, but I liked the Hitachi more. However, it is true that the black levels are not as good as the Panas because it is a weakness of ALiS -- while the flow of images is a strength. I think either TV will be something you'll be happy with, it's truly in the eye of the beholder.

 

[moematthews]



Quote:
Originally Posted by badmeng /forum/post/12868011


Go with the Panny, better colors and better blacks.

Panasonic's blacks are better, but I don't think you can say the same thing about the colours. Hitachi has a higher bit processor. They produce different pictures, and you should look at both very closely to see which you prefer. The Panasonic produces a more vibrant picture; the Hitachi's is smoother and more film-like.

 

[ralphmalph]

Well, update. I ordered the Hitachi last night but then my current (broken) Toshiba was actually fixed for $250 and the repair person said it was in great shape otherwise (power spike - I forgot to hook the directv cable through the power filter). My only complaint about current TV is no HDMI for my DVD, DirecTV, etc. which I recently fixed with Onkyo 604. I cancelled the order especially since CC said it would be up to 10 days to get from warehouse. I think I'll take some more time to think about it - seems like the Panasonic got more votes but the Hitachi seemed the better deal. I wish you could try them out at home with your own signal - the store hookups are horrible.


Thanks for the comments.

 

[hi im drummer03]

May be sooner than we think but probably not that soon...When the NFL is on ABC in HD its recorded in 1080p the broadcasters just dont have the financial status to send it through to your house...

 

[ralphmalph]

A bizarre twist of fate. I was called by the CC corporate office this morning and asked about the cancelling of the order. I told them that I was originally looking at the panny 1080p 50pz77u at CC (I was b/c outpost.com had them for $1799) but the store wouldn't price match. The corporate guy went away and then matched the price with the 36 month financing. Now I have the upgrade for about $500 more.


Did I do well here? The store prices are around $2300 - 2400.