Innovation
Making The Right Choice
Choosing a brand new Flat Screen is a difficult choice to make, so many different sizes, ranges and types that it can be rather overwhelming when considering which set is right for you. Here at Panasonic, we are keen to ensure that our customers understand our range and hope this Guide will help to make sure that you get the product that's perfect for you and your home.
Firstly - LCD Or Plasma?
The two main types of Flat Panel Televisions are Plasma's and Liquid Crystal Display's (LCD's). When it comes down to the choice between the two, Size Matters. LCD is at its optimum performance up to 37 Inches, whilst plasma offers its best over 37 Inches. Therefore, if you wish to purchase a smaller flat panel set, then LCD offers the greater performance, in contrast if you are looking for a larger screen size, Plasma is the best option.
Recent Independent European surveys have discovered that 73% of viewers stated that Plasma sets offered better all-round Viewing than those of LCD. The main areas for Plasma superiority were its Sharpness, Colour, Response Speed and Contrast.
Other considerations are the amount of light the room that the TV will be situated in has. Lighter surroundings compliment the LCD's brightness whereas rooms which are darker highlight the Plasma's Picture. In addition, depending on what you plan on watching your TV for can affect your choice. Sports and Movies which involve fast moving action are best displayed on a Plasma and will produce less blurring than on a LCD set.
High Definition or Full High Definition?
These are exciting times in the Flat Panel technology world. Since 2005 when HDTV took TV viewing to another level, Manufacturers have been working away trying to increase the viewing pleasure from the high quality picture levels available from their TV's. In 2007 the European Information and Communications technology industry association (EICTA) announced the industry standards for the new term - Full HD 1080p. Any TV wishing to carry this label must have a resolution of at least 1920x1080 plus compatibility with 1080p sources working at 50Hz or 60Hz.
Put simply, full HD allows pictures to be shown in more detail. All Blu-Ray, HDD DVD and Sky HD signals transmit a 1080i signal. Full HD models lets the 1080i HD format be shown precisely as it arrives at the TV whereas the HD screens have to use video processing to 'downgrade' the images to the TV's lower native resolution (720).
At present, the only sources which you will be able to enjoy this maximum picture quality will be through a Blu-Ray player, a HD-DVD player or through a camcorder carrying the HD 1080p logo. The picture experienced through these means are breathtaking, and to be seen to believe. Computer games played on the Playstation 3 are also available in the 1080p format allowing incredibly realistic game play and stunning graphics.
Finally, The newest picture quality technology is best utilised by the viewing of it on larger screen (42inch and above) anything lower and the differences are harder to be seen between HD and Full HD.
Warranty
We offer one years Warranty on all Flat Screens purchased from our website.
Size
When choosing Size it's essential to consider which TV you're thinking of selecting. If you wanted the latest Full HD models with the fantastic picture quality, it would be illustrated more effectively when shown on the larger screen. At lower screen sizes the differences may not be as contrasting as when displayed on the bigger screens.
To gain the optimum viewing effects from your new TV it is important to consider how far you will be viewing it from. Below is a rough guideline as to what size would suit you best when considering the distance that you normally view the TV from:
23-32 Inch Screen - 2.4 - 3 metres Viewing distance Range
36-42 Inch Screen - 3 - 3.6 metres Viewing distance Range
43-60 Inch Screen - 3.6 metres+ Viewing distance Range
As mentioned above LCD TV's are best when screen sizes are smaller (up to 37 inches). Whereas the quality of the plasma shines when shown on a larger screen and from a reasonable distance.
Flat Panel Glossary
TH- Product Code for the TV Range
37, 42, 50 and 65- These numbers represent the number of Inches the TV measures from one corner, diagonally to the other.
CAB - This means that the TV comes with a Cabinet Stand included
PED - This means that the TV comes with a Pedestal Stand Included
WALL - This means that the TV comes with Wall Brackets to Hang the set to a wall.
High Definition (HD) -The biggest thing to happen to TV since the world first saw colour broadcasts in the early 1950s. It is designed to deliver breathtakingly life-like pictures which will truly deliver that sense of being there. HD TV signals carry far more picture information than conventional broadcasts. An HD TV picture is made up of 1080 horizontal lines compared to conventional PAL pictures that are made up of around 625 horizontal lines, this means greatly enhanced detail and very high resolution.
Full HD 1080p - The Future of TV viewing. Currently the highest form of high definition available. The term 'Full HD 1080' represents the 1,080 lines of vertical resolution which appears on the screen with the letter p standing for progressive scan (the image is not interlaced). Normally the term takes the form of a widescreen aspect ratio of 16:9, incorporating a horizontal resolution of 1920 pixels. This creates a frame resolution of 1920x1080 (2,073,600 pixels).
Aspect Ratio - Describes the shape of a screen: a box that is 16cm wide and 9cm high is therefore 16:9. Movies are shot in a particular ratio for particular types of screens. There are four main aspect ratios: 4:3 the shape of a conventional TV and used by older films 16:9 widescreen: a compromise between 4:3 and the wider formats used by film makers 1.85:1 letterbox: the most commonly used picture format 2.35:1 Cinemascope: The widest of the most common ratios and also expensive. Used for the ultimate widescreen experience.
PAL - Phase Alternate Line: a commonly used colour TV system and is the standard for all TV and video equipment used in the UK. The PAL system uses 625 lines to make up a video or TV picture and scans at 50Hz. Unless otherwise specified, PAL video equipment is only compatible with PAL software and TV broadcasts.
Pixel - Short for: Picture Element, Pixels are the tiny dots of information that make up a digital image. The more pixels there are on the camera's image sensor (CCD or CMOS) or displays, the higher the image resolution will be. The higher the resolution, the clearer an enlarged print can be.
Contrast ratio - Is the difference between the brightest whites and the blackest blacks that a TV or video projector can display. High contrast ratios deliver whiter whites and blacker blacks and a greater degree of grey values in between. If the contrast ratio is low, even if the image is bright, your image will look washed out.
Fastext - Is a shortcut key that allows you quick, one-button access to a particular page. It works by downloading to your TV cache the other four pages linked to the page you are reading. Four coloured codes corresponding to four pre-selected pages appear at the bottom of the screen. Select the colour button on the keypad of your TV remote control to access your preferred page.
SD Card Slot - This means that you can insert a SD card into your TV and display the contents on the screen. For example, Photo's from your digital camera.
16:9 - Refers to a wide screen. 16:9 is the ratio of width to height of the screen on a High Definition TV (HDTV) set. It provides a wider rectangle compared to the 4:3 ratio of standard TV sets and most computer monitors
Displayable Colours - The number of colours visible on the screen.
Multi Window- PIP (Picture in Picture) Allows a smaller window to be viewed within a larger one/ PAP (Picture and Picture) Allows two windows to be opened at the same time
HDMI- Is a standard for video interfacing, with a bandwidth of up to 5 gigabytes, which means it can easily support all HDTV standards.
Viewing Angle - The angle at which the TV can be viewed without picture quality being affected.
Viera- Panasonic's name for its Flat screen range. Incorporates the latest in technology and style. They offer 16-bit Digital Signals, New advanced Real Gamma Curve, Sharp and deeper blacks on Full-HD images. Not only do they perform fantastically, they also are environmentally friendly. Greenpeace has declared Panasonic 'pioneers' after our recent initiative to replace the toxic lead oxide used in plasma TV's with a more environmentally friendly material. The design of our sets are stylish and smart which will fit in any room in a house.
Viera Link - Multiple AV devices can be controlled using only the Viera Remote control - Use an HDMI cable to connect your Viera TV to a DVD recorder, Blu-ray disc player, HD video camera or other compatible device, and you can use the Viera remote control to operate the connected equipment. Say Good-bye to the confusion and hassle of switching between several different remote control units. With Viera link, you'll find it easy to enjoy the superb entertainment home cinema offers.
PC Input - Connect a PC that is also connected to the Internet, and you can surf or view content you've downloaded on Viera's big, beautiful screen. For business users, the PC input lets you take advantage of Viera's big screen and exceptional viewing quality in presentations and training programmes
100 HZ Motion Picture Pro - Crisp, Smooth reproduction of scenes with fast motion. Afterimages (hold time) in moving pictures have been reduced by about 50% compared with our previous model. This minimizes blurriness and provides smoother, sharper reproduction of fast-moving images. Viera is ideal for viewing action movies or watching baseball games, football games, and broadcasts of other sports.
Sub-Pixel Controller - Smooth images - no jagged edges. This system corrects the image contours by adjusting each R, G and B dot, so it delivers smooth contour lines even at diagonal sections, where lines are normally conspicuous on a large screen.
Advanced 3D Colour Management - Effective Colour Correction Without Affecting Colour Balance - This system controls multiple colours at the same time without affecting neighboring colours. By independently adjusting the colour hue, density and brightness, it brings out the full beauty and richness of every image.
Gradation: 4,096 Equivalent Steps of Gradation - Finer gradation, greater expressivity. To take maximum advantage of the full-HD panel's high resolution, Viera uses up to 16-bit signal processing. This increases gradation to the equivalent of 4,096 steps, which minimizes noise and blackout. Both light and dark parts of an image are expressed clearly and beautifully.
Advanced 3D Colour Management - Effective Colour Correction Without Affecting Colour Balance - This system controls multiple colours at the same time without affecting neighboring colours. By independently adjusting the colour hue, density and brightness, it brings out the full beauty and richness of every image.
Anti-Reflection Filter - Viera TV's feature a filter that widely diffuses the light that reaches the panel, greatly reducing glare. You enjoy comfortably viewing of images that are warm-looking and virtually glare-free.