Panasonic LCD vs Sony LCD?

freeview_user · 15-04-2011, 14:50

Your opinions on which one is better.

gomezz · 15-04-2011, 14:58

Do you like having ads plastered all over the EPG in which case the Panny is the one for you.

freeview_user · 15-04-2011, 15:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by gomezz

Do you like having ads plastered all over the EPG in which case the Panny is the one for you.

I have a Panasonic with no ads. It hasn't downloaded them yet. You can turn them off by not putting a postcode in.

Andy2 · 15-04-2011, 15:14

We have a Panasonic with the ads, but they're easy enough to ignore.

alan_m · 15-04-2011, 16:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andy2

We have a Panasonic with the ads, but they're easy enough to ignore.

But does it still reserve the space for the adverts? Using the screen area in te EPG for adverts, which could be used for displaying more programme information, is a very good reason not to buy a Panasonic TV. Having adverts also suggests a non-standard EPG gathering which has been the death of other sets.

alan_m · 15-04-2011, 16:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by freeview_user

Your opinions on which one is better.

Why only these two "brands". The panels themselves may actually be made by a third party.

You are only going to get valid (subjective) replies to which is best if someone owns, or has owned both sets you are considering. Futhermore, someone recommending a, say, 32 inch set from one manufacturer doesn't mean that the 40 inch set from the same manufacturer is the same quality. Some manufacturers have different LCD panel technologies within their range, they fit different image processing engines or they may even badge someone else's product for the mid to lower end of the range.

Roush · 15-04-2011, 16:29

When I was choosing a mid-range TV about 10 months ago there was very little between them to be honest. One thing that stood out was that Panasonic did a much larger range that included both a Freesat HD tuner and Freeview HD tuner whereas most of Sony's range (at the time) only had one or the other.

Another oddity was Sony's size jump from 40" to 46".

I narrowed my choice to a Sony or a Panasonic in the end and spent a couple of hours in the shop watching various different things on both and as I say there was very little between them indeed. I chose the Sony in the end as the shop could do a deal that made it a bit cheaper than the Panny.

terrykl · 15-04-2011, 16:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by gomezz

Do you like having ads plastered all over the EPG in which case the Panny is the one for you.

I have the panasonic TXL37V20B and I do NOT have any ads plastered over the EPG.

terrykl · 15-04-2011, 16:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by alan_m

But does it still reserve the space for the adverts? Using the screen area in te EPG for adverts, which could be used for displaying more programme information, is a very good reason not to buy a Panasonic TV. Having adverts also suggests a non-standard EPG gathering which has been the death of other sets.

NO it does not reserve a space for adverts.

BKM · 15-04-2011, 16:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by terrykl

I have the panasonic TXL37V20B and I do NOT have any ads plastered over the EPG.

It would be helpful to include an approximate age in posts like this! Most (if not all) current Panasonics DO use Guide-Plus (which has ads!)

terrykl · 15-04-2011, 16:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by freeview_user

I have a Panasonic with no ads. It hasn't downloaded them yet. You can turn them off by not putting a postcode in.

Mine has the postcode in so that i receive regional programming,yet I still dont have adverts

Andy2 · 15-04-2011, 17:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by alan_m

But does it still reserve the space for the adverts? Using the screen area in te EPG for adverts, which could be used for displaying more programme information, is a very good reason not to buy a Panasonic TV. Having adverts also suggests a non-standard EPG gathering which has been the death of other sets.

Actually it doesn't bother me in the slightest, as we use our TV 90% on Freesat! On the rare occasion I use the built-in Freeview, I tend not to use the EPG anyway.
I suppose if Freeview is your main mode of viewing and you rely on the EPG a lot, then the ads may be irritating.

woppy101 · 15-04-2011, 22:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by alan_m

Why only these two "brands". The panels themselves may actually be made by a third party.

You are only going to get valid (subjective) replies to which is best if someone owns, or has owned both sets you are considering. Futhermore, someone recommending a, say, 32 inch set from one manufacturer doesn't mean that the 40 inch set from the same manufacturer is the same quality. Some manufacturers have different LCD panel technologies within their range, they fit different image processing engines or they may even badge someone else's product for the mid to lower end of the range.

im pretty sure panasonic and sony make all of there panels in house and would not put a third party panel in one of there tvs

alan_m · 15-04-2011, 22:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by woppy101

im pretty sure panasonic and sony make all of there panels in house and would not put a third party panel in one of there tvs

A tiny bit of research suggests otherwise especially towards the medium to smaller panel sizes. Whilst this doesn't mean they are not quality panels it does mean that sets with other well known (cheaper) badges are using the same panels.

woppy101 · 15-04-2011, 22:43

the only thing i could find was this that sugests panasonic make all panels in house,not sure about sony though
http://www.reuters.com/article/2010/...65105W20100602
i would always lean toward plasma anyway

Mickey_T · 15-04-2011, 23:30

I've had both and imo Sony makes the better sets.

Both Panasonic tv's I've had have been sent back due to various issues, and their plasmas aren't much better.

Nigel Goodwin · 16-04-2011, 09:07

Quote:

Originally Posted by woppy101

im pretty sure panasonic and sony make all of there panels in house and would not put a third party panel in one of there tvs

Sony have never made any panels themselves, although most are made by S-LCD, a joint venture between Samsung and Sony.

Panasonic make some of their own panels, or at least have them made in China with the usual Chinese problems.

But the panel is just a component, manufacturers buy in most of their components.

joefrance1976 · 16-04-2011, 19:47

Can I just say. I in the last year have owned a Bravia 40ex503 lcd & a Viera 37D28 lcd led set and out the two. I am absolutely blown away by the Panasonic. It is such a phenomenal set and handles all sources well. It also has Freesat to its arsenal. The only gripe I have is the cheapish remote control that is supplied. I used to be very Sony pro, but I think Pannys have an advantage.

Just my opinion though.

pocatello · 16-04-2011, 23:25

You can't go by brand so broadly, each panel should be judged alone. Low end line uses low end panels, sourced from who knows where these days, samsung even had models with the same model number using panels from different suppliers, the infamous panel lottery. You can't skip research these days.

mooghead · 17-04-2011, 08:50

I am a bit of a Sony fanboy so would choose Sony but Panasonic is the only other make I would look at out of all of them. Also, you need to give us your definition of 'best'

alan_m · 17-04-2011, 09:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by mooghead

I am a bit of a Sony fanboy

I would suggest caution if you base all electronic purchases on brand name alone.Sony have been known to re-badge crap and even where they are leaders in the technology they have produced some pretty poor boxes.

No two boxes in my stack of equipment have the same brand name. My purchases are based on finding the best box, for the price I'm prepared to pay, and I have an open mind on brands when I start my research for a new purchase.

Nigel Goodwin · 17-04-2011, 11:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by mooghead

I am a bit of a Sony fanboy so would choose Sony but Panasonic is the only other make I would look at out of all of them. Also, you need to give us your definition of 'best'

Sony are the number one brand, Panasonic number two - it's been that way for many years, although the differences between them have always only been small.

As for alan_m's comments, Panasonic have also badged equipment over the years - and produced some truely unreliable and poorly designed equipment (such as HDD/DVD recorders with PSU's that weren't up to the job - and continued to do so for years).

alan_m · 17-04-2011, 13:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nigel Goodwin

Sony are the number one brand,

Based on what? Their own hype? Surely one of the clone sets sold under numerous brand names in all the electrical high street retailers and supermarkets must be one of the better sellers in the UK?

Nigel Goodwin · 17-04-2011, 13:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by alan_m

Based on what? Their own hype? Surely one of the clone sets sold under numerous brand names in all the electrical high street retailers and supermarkets must be one of the better sellers in the UK?

Based on the industries own figures, NOT solely on sales - where I believe Samsung score EXTREMELY highly.

The clone sets wouldn't count anyway, as each individual 'brand' would count seperately.

There's long been a yearly 'top 20' of electrical manufacturers within the trade, it's based on many factors, reliability, performance, sales, service, customer satisfaction etc.

Everytime I've ever seen the list, Sony are top, Panasonic second - but not very far apart. It's quite possible that years I've not seen it, Panasonic may have come out on top - but no one else is close enough.

15-04-2011, 14:50	#1
freeview_user Guest Join Date: Apr 2011 Posts: 478	Panasonic LCD vs Sony LCD? Your opinions on which one is better.

15-04-2011, 14:58	#2
gomezz Forum Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Buckingham Posts: 28,590	Do you like having ads plastered all over the EPG in which case the Panny is the one for you.

15-04-2011, 15:06	#3
freeview_user Guest Join Date: Apr 2011 Posts: 478	Quote: Originally Posted by gomezz Do you like having ads plastered all over the EPG in which case the Panny is the one for you. I have a Panasonic with no ads. It hasn't downloaded them yet. You can turn them off by not putting a postcode in.

15-04-2011, 15:14	#4
Andy2 Forum Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Vault 101, Cheshire Posts: 10,186	We have a Panasonic with the ads, but they're easy enough to ignore.

15-04-2011, 16:15	#5
alan_m Forum Member Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 1,586	Quote: Originally Posted by Andy2 We have a Panasonic with the ads, but they're easy enough to ignore. But does it still reserve the space for the adverts? Using the screen area in te EPG for adverts, which could be used for displaying more programme information, is a very good reason not to buy a Panasonic TV. Having adverts also suggests a non-standard EPG gathering which has been the death of other sets.

15-04-2011, 16:16	#6
alan_m Forum Member Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 1,586	Quote: Originally Posted by freeview_user Your opinions on which one is better. Why only these two "brands". The panels themselves may actually be made by a third party. You are only going to get valid (subjective) replies to which is best if someone owns, or has owned both sets you are considering. Futhermore, someone recommending a, say, 32 inch set from one manufacturer doesn't mean that the 40 inch set from the same manufacturer is the same quality. Some manufacturers have different LCD panel technologies within their range, they fit different image processing engines or they may even badge someone else's product for the mid to lower end of the range.

15-04-2011, 16:29	#7
Roush Forum Member Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Hertfordshire Posts: 2,938	When I was choosing a mid-range TV about 10 months ago there was very little between them to be honest. One thing that stood out was that Panasonic did a much larger range that included both a Freesat HD tuner and Freeview HD tuner whereas most of Sony's range (at the time) only had one or the other. Another oddity was Sony's size jump from 40" to 46". I narrowed my choice to a Sony or a Panasonic in the end and spent a couple of hours in the shop watching various different things on both and as I say there was very little between them indeed. I chose the Sony in the end as the shop could do a deal that made it a bit cheaper than the Panny.

15-04-2011, 16:48	#8
terrykl Inactive Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: kings lynn,norfolk Posts: 1,410	Quote: Originally Posted by gomezz Do you like having ads plastered all over the EPG in which case the Panny is the one for you. I have the panasonic TXL37V20B and I do NOT have any ads plastered over the EPG.

15-04-2011, 16:54	#9
terrykl Inactive Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: kings lynn,norfolk Posts: 1,410	Quote: Originally Posted by alan_m But does it still reserve the space for the adverts? Using the screen area in te EPG for adverts, which could be used for displaying more programme information, is a very good reason not to buy a Panasonic TV. Having adverts also suggests a non-standard EPG gathering which has been the death of other sets. NO it does not reserve a space for adverts.

15-04-2011, 16:54	#10
BKM Forum Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 6,288	Quote: Originally Posted by terrykl I have the panasonic TXL37V20B and I do NOT have any ads plastered over the EPG. It would be helpful to include an approximate age in posts like this! Most (if not all) current Panasonics DO use Guide-Plus (which has ads!)

15-04-2011, 16:57	#11
terrykl Inactive Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: kings lynn,norfolk Posts: 1,410	Quote: Originally Posted by freeview_user I have a Panasonic with no ads. It hasn't downloaded them yet. You can turn them off by not putting a postcode in. Mine has the postcode in so that i receive regional programming,yet I still dont have adverts

15-04-2011, 17:01	#12
Andy2 Forum Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Vault 101, Cheshire Posts: 10,186	Quote: Originally Posted by alan_m But does it still reserve the space for the adverts? Using the screen area in te EPG for adverts, which could be used for displaying more programme information, is a very good reason not to buy a Panasonic TV. Having adverts also suggests a non-standard EPG gathering which has been the death of other sets. Actually it doesn't bother me in the slightest, as we use our TV 90% on Freesat! On the rare occasion I use the built-in Freeview, I tend not to use the EPG anyway. I suppose if Freeview is your main mode of viewing and you rely on the EPG a lot, then the ads may be irritating.

15-04-2011, 22:17	#13
woppy101 Forum Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 27	Quote: Originally Posted by alan_m Why only these two "brands". The panels themselves may actually be made by a third party. You are only going to get valid (subjective) replies to which is best if someone owns, or has owned both sets you are considering. Futhermore, someone recommending a, say, 32 inch set from one manufacturer doesn't mean that the 40 inch set from the same manufacturer is the same quality. Some manufacturers have different LCD panel technologies within their range, they fit different image processing engines or they may even badge someone else's product for the mid to lower end of the range. im pretty sure panasonic and sony make all of there panels in house and would not put a third party panel in one of there tvs

15-04-2011, 22:36	#14
alan_m Forum Member Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 1,586	Quote: Originally Posted by woppy101 im pretty sure panasonic and sony make all of there panels in house and would not put a third party panel in one of there tvs A tiny bit of research suggests otherwise especially towards the medium to smaller panel sizes. Whilst this doesn't mean they are not quality panels it does mean that sets with other well known (cheaper) badges are using the same panels.

15-04-2011, 22:43	#15
woppy101 Forum Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 27	the only thing i could find was this that sugests panasonic make all panels in house,not sure about sony though http://www.reuters.com/article/2010/...65105W20100602 i would always lean toward plasma anyway

15-04-2011, 23:30	#16
Mickey_T Forum Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 3,425	I've had both and imo Sony makes the better sets. Both Panasonic tv's I've had have been sent back due to various issues, and their plasmas aren't much better.

16-04-2011, 09:07	#17
Nigel Goodwin Forum Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: North Derbyshire Posts: 41,789	Quote: Originally Posted by woppy101 im pretty sure panasonic and sony make all of there panels in house and would not put a third party panel in one of there tvs Sony have never made any panels themselves, although most are made by S-LCD, a joint venture between Samsung and Sony. Panasonic make some of their own panels, or at least have them made in China with the usual Chinese problems. But the panel is just a component, manufacturers buy in most of their components.

16-04-2011, 19:47	#18
joefrance1976 Forum Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Posts: 10	Can I just say. I in the last year have owned a Bravia 40ex503 lcd & a Viera 37D28 lcd led set and out the two. I am absolutely blown away by the Panasonic. It is such a phenomenal set and handles all sources well. It also has Freesat to its arsenal. The only gripe I have is the cheapish remote control that is supplied. I used to be very Sony pro, but I think Pannys have an advantage. Just my opinion though.

16-04-2011, 23:25	#19
pocatello Inactive Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Posts: 8,622	You can't go by brand so broadly, each panel should be judged alone. Low end line uses low end panels, sourced from who knows where these days, samsung even had models with the same model number using panels from different suppliers, the infamous panel lottery. You can't skip research these days.

17-04-2011, 08:50	#20
mooghead Forum Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 572	I am a bit of a Sony fanboy so would choose Sony but Panasonic is the only other make I would look at out of all of them. Also, you need to give us your definition of 'best'

17-04-2011, 09:48	#21
alan_m Forum Member Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 1,586	Quote: Originally Posted by mooghead I am a bit of a Sony fanboy I would suggest caution if you base all electronic purchases on brand name alone.Sony have been known to re-badge crap and even where they are leaders in the technology they have produced some pretty poor boxes. No two boxes in my stack of equipment have the same brand name. My purchases are based on finding the best box, for the price I'm prepared to pay, and I have an open mind on brands when I start my research for a new purchase.

DS Forums

Panasonic LCD vs Sony LCD?

17-04-2011, 11:58	#22
Nigel Goodwin Forum Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: North Derbyshire Posts: 41,789	Quote: Originally Posted by mooghead I am a bit of a Sony fanboy so would choose Sony but Panasonic is the only other make I would look at out of all of them. Also, you need to give us your definition of 'best' Sony are the number one brand, Panasonic number two - it's been that way for many years, although the differences between them have always only been small. As for alan_m's comments, Panasonic have also badged equipment over the years - and produced some truely unreliable and poorly designed equipment (such as HDD/DVD recorders with PSU's that weren't up to the job - and continued to do so for years).

17-04-2011, 13:01	#23
alan_m Forum Member Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 1,586	Quote: Originally Posted by Nigel Goodwin Sony are the number one brand, Based on what? Their own hype? Surely one of the clone sets sold under numerous brand names in all the electrical high street retailers and supermarkets must be one of the better sellers in the UK?

17-04-2011, 13:27	#24
Nigel Goodwin Forum Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: North Derbyshire Posts: 41,789	Quote: Originally Posted by alan_m Based on what? Their own hype? Surely one of the clone sets sold under numerous brand names in all the electrical high street retailers and supermarkets must be one of the better sellers in the UK? Based on the industries own figures, NOT solely on sales - where I believe Samsung score EXTREMELY highly. The clone sets wouldn't count anyway, as each individual 'brand' would count seperately. There's long been a yearly 'top 20' of electrical manufacturers within the trade, it's based on many factors, reliability, performance, sales, service, customer satisfaction etc. Everytime I've ever seen the list, Sony are top, Panasonic second - but not very far apart. It's quite possible that years I've not seen it, Panasonic may have come out on top - but no one else is close enough.