Looking for a better TV (not the best though)

Are you sure it's burn in and not image retention? IR is temporary and can be removed, especially when your funds are tight.

Can your budget stretch to this?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/LG-50PM470T-50-inch-Plasma-Freeview/dp/B007K4V2JC

Or this?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/LG-50PM670T-50-inch-Plasma-Freeview/dp/B007K4V2H...

Or this for £449 (buy it from Amazon direct at the cheaper price):

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B007K4V2GK/ref=olp_product_details?ie...

It's not 3D.

The TX-P50X50B looks an absolute bargain to me Mr Tigger, but make sure you get a 5 year warranty.

And no more falling asleep with bright images on your tv. 

Maybe you could train the expensive puppy or cat to wake you up if you fall asleep again. 

Hey men, thanks for these quick replies...

I'm thinking

Pana TX-P50X50B

OR 

LG 50 pm470T

OR

LG 50PM67OT

.... with most stations being in SD format is there a real need to go HD Full  though ? (kinda lost on this tbh)  Do I need full HD for 3D ? (as always , plz excuse my ignorance)

1) The number of HD channels is constantly increasing. Almost all my TV viewing is HD. Full HD is the way to go if you want to future proof it.

2) HD ready TVs (720p) will generally be better upscalers of SD pictures than full HD TVs (1080p) because less stretching of SD is required to full the pixels.

3) Full HD for 3D is not strictly necessary, but remember that Panasonic X50 uses passive 3D technology, while the 2 LG models employ active 3D.

Active glasses will alternate shutters on each eye so that one picture or the other in the 3D image will get through to the correct eye in timing with the TV signal - this allows for all lines of video to pass through giving you the full 1080 lines of vertical resolution or 'full' HD.

Passive glasses work differently because they require both images to be sent from the TV simultaneously and then the images are split by the polarized lenses in the glasses which are unique to each eye. Since they require both left and right eye images to be sent at the same time the vertical resolution is halved to 360 lines vs. 720 lines (as the TV is 720p & not 1080p). The horizontal resolution should be the same however. The picture quality can worsen.

Balance that with the fact that passive 3D glasses are generally more comfortable than active 3D glasses. 

You should demo the TVs in questions & see which you find best.

I just picked up a samsung 51e6500 in John Lewis clearance, for £559.    To my eye it's pretty close to the st50 for performance, and has full calibration to boot (which the st doesn't).  It's got samsungs smart hub and the dual core processor as well.  Much more resistant to image retention than the panasonics too

I was looking at John Lewis's clearence there Paul but the tv you got seem to be gone though I did see This  tv,

http://www.johnlewis.com/231822907/Product.aspx

what do you think guys and is it around the same quality picture wise as say the  Panasonic TX-P50ST30  which I've found at the same price from Just Electricals though no mention of a 5 year guarentee ?

or

http://www.just-electricals.co.uk/product_detail.aspx?p_id=265

Argh, sore head with a lot of reading now.... lol

I wouldn't buy an ex-display TV which is a 2-year old model without a 5 year warranty.

Thanks bb.

Three days later and with the sales in full swing, have you decided on or bought a TV? By the way, what exactly is your budget for your new TV?

Sales are in full swing as you say SOSJ but I haven't ventured out as yet . I've been in too much pain of late as these latest painkilling patches don't see to work as well of the dihydracodine I was using before, not that they were so great either mind.... argh, sidetracked  srry.

Back to the question, no I haven't bought a new tv as yet.

I WAS just going out to get this http://www.richersounds.com/product/tv---all/panasonic/viera-txp50x50b/pana-txp50x50b

but have been reading a lot of info about a lot of different tv's now for a while including led/lcd and different sizes as well... 46'', 50 and Samsung 51'' ones as well.

I was thinking up to around the £700.00 mark. I tries looking for that Samsung tv that Paul bought the other day from John Lewis but it seemed they didn't have others though I did see Richers were also selling them (though no mention of a five years guarentee) and If memory serves only a few stores had any left and they don't deliver sets to other stores, you have to get from the shop with stock.... argh.

To begin with I wasn't looking to get a 3D set but if it did like that Samsung I mentioned, then why not I guess ?

Paul how is your new tv ?

Can I ask if this is the same tv ? : https://www.electricalexperience.co.uk/product.php/8391/0

Yep, thats the one.

I really love it, glad I didn't bother saving up for the ST!  It doesn't go super black like the Panasonic's go, although black levels are still good.  I found some calibration settings online (link below) which were spot on, made a huge difference to the stock movie preset.  It has full 10 point calibration that you don't get on the ST.  Motion is better than the Panasonic's in my opinion, it occasionally gets a smidge choppy on 24p slow pans (Cinema Smooth seems to sort it out, with none of the weird processing that seems to go on with the Panasonic when you witch the processing on). From reading online they seem to be a lot less flakey than the Panasonic's, nice and reliable, and much better at resisting IR.  Finally, the Smart Hub is a tonne better on the Samsung, and the Dual Core processor is pretty snappy    Redbull TV, College Humour and Crunchy Roll are highlights for me,  Hollie is pretty excited about the Digital Theatre app.  May even give Spotify a go since its there.

Things that were the biggest surprise to me, is day time performance.  Buying a Plasma I was expecting it to be quite dim and reflective.  Its contrasty in daytime with the curtains open so the black pro thingamibob filter is doing its job fine with reflections.

So far watched the latest Spiderman, Episode 4, 5 and 6 of Star Wars and the Dark Knight.  All looked Grand.  The Dark Knight especially, blacks and colours looked outstanding, plenty of shadow detail.

3D to be fair is pretty poor, I get uncomfortable quickly watching it so I wouldn't buy it on the basis of its 3D.  Its the only thing I can really fault at this price.

http://reviews.plasmatvbuyingguide.com/samsung-plasma-tv/samsung-pn51e65...

Got pics in my system thread

Sorry Paul I replyed in your other thread by mistake... I'm waaaay too tired    :(

Aw thanks Paul, good lad.... hey do you recon I should take out the five year cover as well  ?

I read about this tv after you mentioned it and it DOES get a right few great write-ups..... one page on the 60" of this model says that in a little britter light the 60" is anyway, showing better blacks than the ST AND GT50'S

Bright Room Performance

"The panel is coated with Samsung’s “Real Black Pro” anti-reflective coating, which is very effective at preserving contrast performance even in bright environments. The anti-reflective filter slightly betters Panasonic’s “Infinite Black Pro”, which is found on the ST50 and GT50 plasma TVs from the Japanese manufacturer: Samsung’s “Real Black Pro” holds onto blacks better, and the screen actually remains black in the presence of ambient light, rather than the slight greeny-blue tinge that appears on the Panasonic. We’d have to see one side by side, but we imagine Panasonic’s flagship VT50, with its “Infinite Black Ultra” filter, will be a match for the E6500."

see here : http://www.EDITED/news/samsung-ps60e6500-ps51e6500-201207262022.htm

To be fair though Paul from all you can read... there isn't a lot of great 3D out there at the moment anyway.

I'm going to buy it. I said to Angela (my wife) that for what we will be watching it for it will be a great tv... and she was all for it  ... yay ... bliss !  :)

I want it to give me real nice picture value with SD but mostly for Blu Ray watching which for all intents and purposes it will be real nice    :)

Thanks again Paul for the information man... real nice of you.          

The 51" pannel isn't as good for blacks as the 60" in your review unfortunately.  It does perform excellently in daylight, but blacks are visibly worse than the GT.  It's not poor by any means, just less excellent than the GT/ST.  For the money I don't think you can go wrong, as it beats the ST in many areas and has specifications you need to go up to the GT to match.