|
Video Asylum TVs, VCRs, DVD players, Home Theater systems and more. |
|
|
|
Video Asylum TVs, VCRs, DVD players, Home Theater systems and more. |
|
In Reply to: decision time posted by petew on January 8, 2002 at 07:47:08:
"...I didn't like the styling of the Sony, as I prefer a black bezel, which is more neutral and blends well with any decor."I agree Pete. With light colored bezels I find myself constantly aware of the bezel; that the image has been framed and contained. This adds another layer of visual distraction to the experience. I find the Panasonic bezels are the best, being extremely dark (which is better with letterboxed images, so the bevel does not contrast sharply with the dark bands), and the fact that they are extremely thin bevels. When I see the Panny, I'm aware of the image and only the image, like a big wonderful picture cast in the air.
I'm glad you pointed out the cabling issue with the NEC vs. the Panasonic! It's been almost impossible to find someone who has seen both those models. (BTW, can you confirm that it was the newest NEC MP3 that you saw, not the earlier MP2?).
I agree about the Panny 50." Nothing really touches it. My local stores have 42, 50 and 61" models spanning brands from Panasonic, Sony, Samsung, Marantz, Pioneer and Fujitsu. The Panny 50" is the clear winner to me. It simply has the clearest, creamiest, most noise and artifact free picture of all. When looking at a shot of the blue sky on most plasmas I'm aware of pixelization and processing errors. On the Panny it's like looking at...the sky.
I'm in exactly the same decor situation as you regarding cabling/size of plasma/size of wife's temper. I find the extra pixels of the 50" definitely make a difference in the way sharpness is extended to the smallest of objects in the picture - something the 42" models have a bit more trouble with. However, the 42" inch looks so bloody awesome it's easy to forget such quibbles. Besides, the 50" in Canadian dollars is only for rich guys.
BTW, Pete, do you notice something about reviews in the Home Theater world? They don't really talk about the viewing experience the way we audiophiles get into the subtleties of how various equipment effects the listening experience. In a HT mag review, all products, especially display screens, either pass a similar set of A-B-C-D tests or they don't. A plasma or LCD projector either has black levels "as good as" a CRT or they do not. As if these tests told the reader just what the screen looked like. There is very little prose devoted to how the differences between displays actually affect the perception of the picture (like publishing only the specs of an SS amp vs. a single-ended 300B tube amp, without any mention of how the sonic experience contrasts with each amp). Any display can be "clear," "rich," "colorful" ...but Plasma pictures look decidedly different - smoother and more organic - than other designs, yet I rarely see such things discussed in these terms.
Anyway, have fun.
Rich.
This post is made possible by the generous support of people like you and our sponsors:
Follow Ups
- Re: decision time - Rich H 09:21:06 01/08/02 (1)
- yep, trust no one - petew 13:34:08 01/08/02 (0)
Top of Page ]
[ Contact Us ]
[ Support/Wish List ]
[ Copyright © 2024, Audio Asylum, all rights reserved ]
