42 inch HDTV suggestion

[RKitect]

1. Budget.
55-60k +5k ok if thats really worth it

2. Viewing distance.
8-10 feet

3. Sources/inputs such as HD DTH/consoles/stand-alone media players etc.
DTH/PC

4. Preference for plasma TV/LCD TV/LED-LCD TV.
LED

5. Preference for brands.
Sony/Samsung/Panasonic/LG

6. Willing to purchase it from the grey market?
No

7. Ambient lighting conditions of the room.
Reasonably dark

8. Any other feature you are looking for such as 3D support on the HDTV, DLNA capabilities etc.
Wifi

Looking to buy before diwali

 

[Kilroyquasar]

The Panasonic 42E6D!
End of the thread!

 

[afterburner]

Sony KDL-42W670a has great viewing angle and good sound quality compared to Panasonic..
Panasonic 42E6D also a good choice..!

 

[ithehappy]

I'll buy the same before Diwali too, and it's either E6 or W650A. Don't see into lots of models, you'll get confused, just go to store, see both the Sony and Panny, buy whichever suits you.

 

[Kilroyquasar]

@RKitect - HDTVtest recommends E6 for this range (the recent Whathifi 2013 function awarded the best TV award to E6, though that is in the 32" segment; but it has been said that the E6 is the best LED TV that Panasonic has manufactured and come up with yet!!), and your requirements just tick about every parameter to qualify for an E6. you can have it for 53-57k with some freebies. the rest amount you could spend on a decent HTS, media-player, or whatever good you can get in that amount and which you can make use of. the Sony models in that same segment must be good too (but i lack much info on them), hence a side-by-side comparison (at default settings for the contending TVs) of SD AND HD (take HD movie rips in 2-4 pen-drives, with the same movies in all, alongwith you, to the showroom, and play them side-by-side simultaneously to compare the same frames on different TV-models) is what will be crucial, and if you've got a good eye for observation, you should be able to decide swiftly (another model to compare to/against & add to your predicament - LG LA6910. but i don't know the price. please check it when you visit the showrooms).

one quick & important difference - with the Panasonic, you would get 3 yrs warranty as it is with the TV, whereas with the other brands, you will have to shell out a total of 6-8k for extended warranty beyond the 1 yr one that they already offfer (extended warranty of 1+1 year). in case you decide to buy Sony's or any other brand's TV, opt for the extended-warranty cover available from the brand itself, and if that's somehow not possible, then from Reliance, if available.

 

[afterburner]

@RKitect - HDTVtest recommends E6 for this range (the recent Whathifi 2013 function awarded the best TV award to E6, though that is in the 32" segment; but it has been said that the E6 is the best LED TV that Panasonic has manufactured and come up with yet!!), and your requirements just tick about every parameter to qualify for an E6. you can have it for 53-57k with some freebies. the rest amount you could spend on a decent HTS, media-player, or whatever good you can get in that amount and which you can make use of. the Sony models in that same segment must be good too (but i lack much info on them), hence a side-by-side comparison (at default settings for the contending TVs) of SD AND HD (take HD movie rips in 2-4 pen-drives, with the same movies in all, alongwith you, to the showroom, and play them side-by-side simultaneously to compare the same frames on different TV-models) is what will be crucial, and if you've got a good eye for observation, you should be able to decide swiftly (another model to compare to/against & add to your predicament - LG LA6910. but i don't know the price. please check it when you visit the showrooms).

one quick & important difference - with the Panasonic, you would get 3 yrs warranty as it is with the TV, whereas with the other brands, you will have to shell out a total of 6-8k for extended warranty beyond the 1 yr one that they already offfer (extended warranty of 1+1 year). in case you decide to buy Sony's or any other brand's TV, opt for the extended-warranty cover available from the brand itself, and if that's somehow not possible, then from Reliance, if available.

Thanks for the detailed info but Sony has good upscale compared to Panasonic when it comes to SD..compared side by side may be i'm getting wrong i actually saw like that but i'm very confused between these two models..me also gng to buy one in this diwali..
Design wise Sony-W670a looks great..jus my opinion though....

 

[Kilroyquasar]

that's what matters the most, personal audition! the verdict-giver should be one's eyes.
i had read that E6 does a good job at SD too. that's why i suggested to demo the TVs at default settings, and with the same content (for eg, an SD-movie or an SD-show's episode playing simultaneously on multiple TVs side-by-side). liking sound/picture being highly subjective, in the end, one should take the call only after a good personal audition. but whatever the TVs, these days, panel failure-rates are at an all-time high, hence, getting a good warranty-cover should be of prime importance! either get a TV that has a longer warranty, or get the extended-warranty cover by paying for it. PQ-wise, most are more-or-less on equal platforms, so paying heed to service-terms should be the next most important parameter to look into.

 

[ithehappy]

The only problem with E6 I have read so far is the low refresh rate/motion flow, other than that it's a great price, according to reviews. And yeah, reviews say it upscale SD picture pretty good, don't know if it's on par or better than X-Reality of Sony. Also it's been said that E6 has way better black levels than W6 series, this is a huge point imo (keep in mind I'm a Sony user for 20 years), the black levels on Bravia lineups aren't good to be honest, at least in the mid range ones.
One more thing when you watch the same clip/movie on both televisions make sure you set the picture settings at neutral (don't know if the sales person will allow it or not) on both the tvs, all the stores enable preset which looks best.

 

[Kilroyquasar]

yes, by default settings, i meant the neutral ones. also, i had written to an owner of the E6, and i was told that he didn't see any noticeable lag on it, even during gaming. same was with the case with another owner. so it can be safely said that average users won't get affected by it.

moreover, the same users and a few others have also reported what ITH has said - that the W650A has over-saturated reds (seems to be with many Sony sets) and blacks are almost non-existent on them (looks more like a budget-LG set, understandably, since the panel is from LG). W670 too doesn't fare well against the E6. suprisingly, one user reported that he liked the looks of the E6 more than the Sony's (gorgeous looks when off), while Sony's UI is better. to each his own.

i'll just sum up the feedback of various people who had auditioned the TVs, as well as most which are owners now of the E6 after the auditions:

- SD & HD both look extremely good on the E6!!
- owing to the VA panel, viewing-angles do take a beating (degradation in viewing starts from ~35 deg. off-axis, which is pretty much the standard for LED TVs).
- sound is clear.
- no analog (RCA) or headphone-out. only one optical audio-out.
- Samsung F5500 seemed slightly disappointing. Samsung F6400 was quite a match (with additional 2" at a lower price; the TV is 3D-capable)!
- E6 has built-in wifi (which i think is missing from the W650A).
- W670 is no match for the PQ of the E6 (some don't go to this extreme, but still concur that E6 is better)!
- E6 has got better reviews as well.
- LED light in the centre of the W670 is cool (IDK what that is), but E6's PQ is ace!
- E6 gets the recognition of 'The Best TV' under the 500 Pounds category (the first for any Panasonic LED TV).
- this TV has the deepest blacks ever for any LED TV in the 40-50" category!
- one states that his prime reason to buy the E6 was due to its stellar PQ in SD (he has only an SD STB).
- one more owner says that SD is excellent on the E6.
- manual calibration may be required for a more neutral colour on the E6.
- ezone says Panasonic is giving just 1 yr. warranty on its TVs these days (please confirm!!).
- the E6 has inbuilt DLNA server. android phone can be used as a smart remote.
- download the following video, put it in a pen-drive, and play it on the TV in the showroom to check the response-time:

- for 42", this TV is really impressive!!

now rest is upto your eyes, gentlemen! all the best!

 

[afterburner]

yes, by default settings, i meant the neutral ones. also, i had written to an owner of the E6, and i was told that he didn't see any noticeable lag on it, even during gaming. same was with the case with another owner. so it can be safely said that average users won't get affected by it.

moreover, the same users and a few others have also reported what ITH has said - that the W650A has over-saturated reds (seems to be with many Sony sets) and blacks are almost non-existent on them (looks more like a budget-LG set, understandably, since the panel is from LG). W670 too doesn't fare well against the E6. suprisingly, one user reported that he liked the looks of the E6 more than the Sony's (gorgeous looks when off), while Sony's UI is better. to each his own.

i'll just sum up the feedback of various people who had auditioned the TVs, as well as most which are owners now of the E6 after the auditions:

- SD & HD both look extremely good on the E6!!
- owing to the VA panel, viewing-angles do take a beating (degradation in viewing starts from ~35 deg. off-axis, which is pretty much the standard for LED TVs).
- sound is clear.
- no analog (RCA) or headphone-out. only one optical audio-out.
- Samsung F5500 seemed slightly disappointing. Samsung F6400 was quite a match (with additional 2" at a lower price; the TV is 3D-capable)!
- E6 has built-in wifi (which i think is missing from the W650A).
- W670 is no match for the PQ of the E6 (some don't go to this extreme, but still concur that E6 is better)!
- E6 has got better reviews as well.
- LED light in the centre of the W670 is cool (IDK what that is), but E6's PQ is ace!
- E6 gets the recognition of 'The Best TV' under the 500 Pounds category (the first for any Panasonic LED TV).
- this TV has the deepest blacks ever for any LED TV in the 40-50" category!
- one states that his prime reason to buy the E6 was due to its stellar PQ in SD (he has only an SD STB).
- one more owner says that SD is excellent on the E6.
- manual calibration may be required for a more neutral colour on the E6.
- ezone says Panasonic is giving just 1 yr. warranty on its TVs these days (please confirm!!).
- the E6 has inbuilt DLNA server. android phone can be used as a smart remote.
- download the following video, put it in a pen-drive, and play it on the TV in the showroom to check the response-time:

- for 42", this TV is really impressive!!

now rest is upto your eyes, gentlemen! all the best!

Looks like i have to change my Mind..Since my primary concern is PQ i think i have to go with E6..!

 

[babhishek]

nice update, i have to check this tv out, own 2 pana plasmas and one of them is the g10 award winning model!

good to know pana is focussing on LED tvs whioch have started winning awards, since plasma is dead!!

 

[Kilroyquasar]

Looks like i have to change my Mind..Since my primary concern is PQ i think i have to go with E6..!

yes, but do so only after you have had a good comparative audition. don't worry if you are thinking that that may further confuse you, because if E6 is that good, it would easily win you over!

 

[afterburner]

yes, but do so only after you have had a good comparative audition. don't worry if you are thinking that that may further confuse you, because if E6 is that good, it would easily win you over!

Thanks Bro Your points to E6 are soo strong and confident thats why,definitely i would make comparative audition with these two models in showroom...
Cheers..

 

[Kilroyquasar]

nice update, i have to check this tv out, own 2 pana plasmas and one of them is the g10 award winning model!

good to know pana is focussing on LED tvs whioch have started winning awards, since plasma is dead!!

may we know which one is that? could've googled it, but nevertheless, would like to know the name from a proud owner himself. i myself have a reference-level Pana plasma.

also, there has been news of Pana disbanding its plasma-div., and wrapping up that business early next year (though i & many others feel & are of the opinion that it should not), but officially Pana has been denying it, understandably, due to business-reasons (it has to get its present stocks cleared). but on the other hand, its going to introduce a 'twin-tuner' feature now in its TVs (perhaps its TV-tuner inbuilt), in some if its LED as well plasma lie-up. so can't say for sure what it is up to. the plasma-tech couldn't be said to be dead yet, as samsung has been harvesting it really well now (for eg, its mighty 64F8500 has gotten many videophiles very impressed), and some plasma-users feel that in case Pana really decides to forfeit the pasma-tech, samsung should honestly take-over that division from them, ie, samsung would be the most apt & able entity to qualify as their successor.[DOUBLEPOST=1382510700][/DOUBLEPOST]

Thanks Bro Your points to E6 are soo strong and confident thats why,definitely i would make comparative audition with these two models in showroom...
Cheers..

welcome! let us also know your findings.

 

[RKitect]

Tthanks a lot everyone for the views. It has been already established that the PQ is the best in this range. I also read some reviews about the panasonic E6.I am only worried about the motion blur since i will be mostly watching sports. Some reviews suggest that it has some motion blur. can anyone give info about the same. Is the motion blur very obvious for a normal viewer or is it for the experts who review it very closely.
I will try to get a demo of the same at Croma or Vijay sales and post my views on the same soon. till then please give your experiences/ opinions on this.

 

[Kilroyquasar]

Tthanks a lot everyone for the views. It has been already established that the PQ is the best in this range. I also read some reviews about the panasonic E6.I am only worried about the motion blur since i will be mostly watching sports. Some reviews suggest that it has some motion blur. can anyone give info about the same. Is the motion blur very obvious for a normal viewer or is it for the experts who review it very closely.
I will try to get a demo of the same at Croma or Vijay sales and post my views on the same soon. till then please give your experiences/ opinions on this.

i think the only review that writes about some motion-blur being noticed on the E6 during fast-panning shots while viewing sports, is the HDTVtest, whereas other reviews don't write talk about it. that said, HDTVtest is arguably the best online TV-reviewing portal, and it goes very deep and into very fine-details in reviewing a TV, particularly when it belongs to a higher price-segment (mid-high-end)/has garnered very good feedback/is promised to be a stellar product by its manufacturer and indeed shows signs of that promise. the points that i listed earlier was the feedback from owners of the E6 and people who had auditioned multiple brands of TVs, including the E6, and they report not being able to notice it, one of them even while playing PS3 games on the E6. the general consensus of the viewers is that an average user won't notice it.

P.S. - check in at Reliance too. you stand a better chance to be quoted a fairer price (or/and bargained price) for the TV there, esp. if you are located at Delhi. also, Reliance has a 15-day price-match guarantee with any store/outlet in the country, which could prove beneficial to you.

 

[RKitect]

P.S. - check in at Reliance too. you stand a better chance to be quoted a fairer price (or/and bargained price) for the TV there, esp. if you are located at Delhi. also, Reliance has a 15-day price-match guarantee with any store/outlet in the country, which could prove beneficial to you.

I checked at Vijay Sales just now. But they dont have it on display there. but he have a quote of 62990. I think that s a little too high. I am from Mumbai any other place where i can check. will be checking at Croma today evening.

 

[Kilroyquasar]

I checked at Vijay Sales just now. But they dont have it on display there. but he have a quote of 62990. I think that s a little too high. I am from Mumbai any other place where i can check. will be checking at Croma today evening.

yes, its high. check at croma. high chance of it being available there. from there, reliance & kohinoor. pay no more than 57k, including freebies, which should be the highest limit. a person recently purchased it for 53k from reliance, delhi. so make sure to let the salesmen know about the ground-reality!

P.S. - make sure to either call or vist Pana's showroom too! they can also give you a very good price, though am not very hopeful of the Mumbai one; the Pune one is better. call the Pune one too. also, vijay sales at delhi is ready to provide the E6 for 52.5k, so there should be no reason for them to ask for that hefty a price here. let them know about this. check at vijay sales, croma, reliance, kohinoor showrooms at thane, ghodbunder road as well. also, panasonic is supposedly handing out some gift worth atleast 1k with the E6. do insist on getting it (yes, you might have to be pro-active on that).

 

[ithehappy]

The panel of W650A is made by LG? Seriously? So much of Bravia then!
May I know who manufactured the E6 panel?

 

[Kilroyquasar]

yes, probably samsung also makes some of sony's tv-panels; atleast they used to, till sometime back.
no idea about panasonic and e6 in particular. would be interested to know myself.