Buying a Flat Panel Display (LCD/Plasma/LED etc)

[srishiva]

How easy (or difficult or impossible) is it to bring a 42" TV from the U.S or Canada ?

[reignofchaos]

Its not too hard to get. The problem is ensuring it reaches in one piece without the panel cracked.

[vasudeva]

Originally Posted by ST7677

But why not PV8 and why PV80? IS the only difference of an SD card slot or are there any other differences?

I think it is only the SD card. All the other features look the same. ROC may enlighten further. Is SD card really required for watching JPEG photos. Is there an alternate way to watch camera JPEG photos on a Pana plasma. If that be the case, I will save another 5K.

As of today, PV80/PV8 is not available with Delhi dealers, but they are seeing in the next few days.

[jassi]

why not just connect your laptop/PC/mac directly to the tv using hdmi/vga/etc. and enjoy your pics that way. I do that all the time not only for pics but also for watching dvds etc. Most newer laptops have a vga out if not hdmi and also an audio out (headphone or spdif for digital). Ofcourse the other option I use is my PS3 and lastly my philips dvd player which also comes with a usb reader

[reignofchaos]

Yea no diff other than the SD card slot. Buy either of those.

[vasudeva]

Originally Posted by reignofchaos

Yea no diff other than the SD card slot. Buy either of those.

Another minor diff. is that PV80 has 3 HDMI slots (1F/2R) compared with 2 rear slots for PV8.

[reignofchaos]

^^Mostly irrelevant as you can always use HDMI switching on a receiver in the worst case.

[vasudeva]

To ROC/others:

I had finalised a Pana 42PV80 at around 70-75K. However, I recently found that Pioneer 428XG Kuro is available at around 1.1 (from Pioneer Noida). Is it worthwhile to go for Pioneer for an extra 35K (which is also affordable). 428XG Kuro is 1024*768p and was I think launched in 2007.

[appuchan]

Originally Posted by vasudeva

To ROC/others:

I had finalised a Pana 42PV80 at around 70-75K. However, I recently found that Pioneer 428XG Kuro is available at around 1.1 (from Pioneer Noida). Is it worthwhile to go for Pioneer for an extra 35K (which is also affordable). 428XG Kuro is 1024*768p and was I think launched in 2007.

Depends on what you typically watch. If it is the normal Tatasky and desi movie dvd stuff more than 75% of time then it may not make a difference. But if you have a BlueRay player and/or watch lots of English/western DVDs (more dark scenes) then it makes sense to utilize the better contrasts of the Pio.

[vasudeva]

I am still waiting for ROC's opinion. I watch regular programming on weekdays (1 hr) and 3-4 DVDs (mostly English movies) on weekends. I can buy Pioneer if it is absolutely good and has decent service. Forget about the price and the fact that later gen. models are now available in other countries.

[aggressive_anush]

The 428XG is definitely worth the extra money.

[aggressive_anush]

Originally Posted by reignofchaos

Yea no diff other than the SD card slot. Buy either of those.

While im not too sure about the difference between the PV8 and the PV80,
the PV7 vs PV70 had more differences than the number of HDMI ports.

The panel was manufactured in different countries with the PV7 from china Vs the PV70 from Japan.

Apart from this the panel specifications were different according to the site with the PV7 having 2048 shades of gradation vs the PV70's 3072.

I dont know how much of a difference that would actually make, but was just pointing out that there may be a couple more differences between the PV8 and PV80 than the number of HDMI ports and the SD card slot

[ST7677]

Originally Posted by vasudeva

I had finalised a Pana 42PV80 at around 70-75K. However, I recently found that Pioneer 428XG Kuro is available at around 1.1 (from Pioneer Noida). Is it worthwhile to go for Pioneer for an extra 35K (which is also affordable). 428XG Kuro is 1024*768p and was I think launched in 2007.

Though I am a hardcore Kuro fan, I don't think it is worth spending that extra dough.
I have not seen the Pana PV80 but going by Cnet (US) reports this generation Pana panels are almost as black as last generation Pio panels, in fact they do have slightly better colour rendering too.
Cnet had Pioneer 8th gen Kuro as Editors choice till this generation Panasonic got launched, which replaced the 8th gen Kuro. So obviously no point spending 35k extra on last gen Pio.
Ofcourse 9th Gen Kuro is going to take Editors choice position back, I am sure, but then there are no 42" models to look forward to.

IMO you should be fine with new 42" PV8/PV80 from Panasonic. I would have gone for the Kuro had it been within 10k difference, but beyond that it may not justify. Here, you are talking about 50% additional money.

[vasudeva]

Originally Posted by ST7677

IMO you should be fine with new 42" PV8/PV80 from Panasonic. I would have gone for the Kuro had it been within 10k difference, but beyond that it may not justify. Here, you are talking about 50% additional money.

The 1.1 was on first info. If I get it at 1, then it should be worthwhile. Even at 1.1. Digital technologies evolve and `the first one now may later be last' (Bob Dylan) but I am comfortable with Pioneer 42" since on an absolute level, it was still excellent. Say I buy a Pana 42". In 1 year, something else will come that will make it look old.

[vasudeva]

I have also checked the cnet site in response to ST7677. The cnet choice is 50PZ800 (not the extra 0). That is not available here neither now nor in the near future. It is full HD. Note also that for all it is worth cnet says:

`But many of Panasonic's 2008 plasma TVs, including the TH-50PZ800U, come mighty close to the vaunted blacks of those Kuro models'.

Of course, CNET has not tested either the 42PV80/PX80 or Pioneer 42. But they have tested the higher size 46" pana and 50" Pioneer.

Best HDTVs overall - CNET Reviews

I know you are all knowledgable than me and are giving only great advice, but the 42 Pioneer is the one for me, on ROC's advice and generally positives by all of you.