Question:
i'm considering making the leap to plasma screen technology (w00t! ) but to be honest the cheapest models are only just within my price range. sadly a projector is out of the question so, is it worth gettin a plasam for only (!) £2000-£2500, richer sounds have a whole selection under the three grand mark, are they actually any good? i've had a hard time trying to track down any review sites that seem to have a clue what they're on about when it comes to plasma screens. does anyone have any recommendations, or should i not even think about getting into the plasma market if i can't stretch to £5000+
also what hidden costs are there, cables, brackets, tuners etc.
I'd say no. If you see the cheaper models like the LG and Samsung sold by Richer next to the Panasonics and Pioneers, you'll probably agree that the picture is significantly better.
Personally, I prefer the Panasonic - thought it was best at the Bristol Hi-Fi show in February. There is a newer version out now so you might get some good discounts.
Last time I looked, they were around £3,000 but you do need to budget for stands/brackets etc I'd get a Freeview box rather than the analogue tuners.
Just checked: http://www.tmfsolutions.co.uk/homecinema_plasma_panasonic_th42pwd5bx.htm and the PWD5 is now £2,557
the 2500 quid Hitachi in Richer sounds is very good, of comparable quality to the panny and pioneer (some would say better)
I don't know if it comes with a stand though, so you'll probably need a few hundred quid for bracket/stand, convertors and cables.
Are the 42 inch Philips as sold by Comet for £3k any good?
Nigel, just checked out the link, is £400 for installation normal? Seems a huge amount of money just to screw in a bracket and plug in some leads. I know you can go DIY but I must admit I am thinking of upgrading to a plasma and I was certainly thinking of having the shop install it but at this price :eek:
From my viewings, the LG and Samsung plasmas looked AWFUL. I wasn't too impressed with the Philips either.
The Fujitsu, Hitachi, Panasonic and Pioneer screens were good though, the latter two easily being the best.
The five series Panasonic flickers a tinsy bit but is a bargain at £2,556 at www.nexnix.co.uk - the new six series is a step up at £3,000. But for its extra inch and markedly superior resolution I went for the Pioneer PDP 433MXE at £3,500.
Justin at Upgrade Heaven did me a great deal :)
The series 5 Panny flicker was completely unacceptable to me, but a lot of people don't notice it. You really need to take a look at all the screens...
I went for a Hitachi as I could see the lower pixel resolution of the panny (as well as the flicker), and I thought the black level was better than the pioneer.
Nobody can tell you what to buy, you have to see them all for yourself, but even if you're working to a budget you'll end up with either the Pioneer, Panny or Hitachi. Everybody else does :)
Yeah Pioneer, Hitachi and Panny would be on my shortlist..excellent review for Philips Pixel Plus 42" in Home Cinema Choice.."The screen has a definite 'wow' factor, the black level is particularly impressive..its hard not to be impressed by the 42PF9965. In every respect this is a might performer." Got a Best Buy Award..I presume the 37" version is the same..4 Scart connections (3 RGB).
when I was looking I also thought the Pioneer mxe was the better screen (esp after the bristol show), but I also saw a samsung and the pioneer next to each other showing the same thing, and there wasn't £2k's worth of difference in quality between them.
Originally posted by nictry
Nigel, just checked out the link, is £400 for installation normal? Seems a huge amount of money just to screw in a bracket and plug in some leads. I know you can go DIY but I must admit I am thinking of upgrading to a plasma and I was certainly thinking of having the shop install it but at this price :eek:
Didn't look at that bit! Seems a bit steep but I suspect you can just buy and have it delivered. I'd expect most firms will charge a sizeable whack for installing. Depends how you intend to set it up and how competent you are at fixing a wall mount.
As the site says: This unit is not supplied with feet so this is the minimum desk mount required - £131 for the pedestal stand.
if the hitachi is a decent screen at £2500 then i'll go take a look at one, i was half expecting a response along the lines of, only a retard would buy one of those cheapo screens, but i may well be able to stretch to this (and the installation/stand etc)
cheers
you wont need installation if your getting a stand:) just a spare person to help move the thing about
make sure its got all the connections you want and you've got the cables needed!
yeah i say stand but wall mount is a definate possibility as well.
as far as a source goes, would i be right in thinking i could just run everything through the A/V amp and into the screen (in which case i'd already have all cables i needed)
yes you can through the amp, but if your not using the component connections and just svideo then :gag:
Depends on what sources you are using. A large screen like this shows up the deficiencies of interlaced signals. I'd strongly recommend connecting your DVD via component if possible, especially if it's capable of PAL/NTSC progressive scans.
Alternatively, you can get an external de-interlacer and feed everything through that.
Originally posted by nigel_williams
Depends on what sources you are using. A large screen like this shows up the deficiencies of interlaced signals. I'd strongly recommend connecting your DVD via component if possible, especially if it's capable of PAL/NTSC progressive scans.
Alternatively, you can get an external de-interlacer and feed everything through that.
The Hitachi screen will hardly benefit from a progressive input due to it using ALIS technology.
On mine the best picture can be had by using RGB rather than component (in my opinion, obviously)
Rather spend the money on a high end 32" or 36" CRT.
Got the Loewe Aconda and it puts all the low end plasmas (And most of the high-end) to shame.
Have a look at House of Fraser for a demo.
ah but the reason i'm looking at plasma is the space, i already have a 32" panasonic but it takes up a big chunk of the living room, and god knows how much more a 36" would take.
Yeah a 37" plasma would barely take up much more widthwise than some 32" CRT models! What appeals to me is not only are you getting every inch of screen (my 32" CRT is 30" of actual screen), and 21st Century looks, but plasmas are not affected by magnetic interference, which suits my personal speaker placement.
well i was thinking more depth wise.......
Yeah depth is important too, even if you don't mount it on the wall..a plasma could be moved a foot further away from my current viewing position on table top stand, and I can move centre speaker up to sit just below it.
Originally posted by danielzavitz
well i was thinking more depth wise.......
:lol: sorry, just found that communication breakdown very amusing.
Yeah width is my biggest issue, though a great fat TV can be a nuisance, because it is so fat.
Has anybody looked at buying Sony's new 32" model?
Sony's plasmas all look splendid in terms of their design but from my experience, the picture isn't as good as the established market leaders. I certainly prefered the look of the Pioneer MXE (which is why I'm buying one!)...
Another major minus point for Sony plasmas is that they are inordinately expensive.
Originally posted by Grandmaster
Sony's plasmas all look splendid in terms of their design but from my experience, the picture isn't as good as the established market leaders. I certainly prefered the look of the Pioneer MXE (which is why I'm buying one!)...
Another major minus point for Sony plasmas is that they are inordinately expensive.
No no no no no,not true.
The Hitachi and the Sony are both Fujitsu screens,as are a lot and they are both fantastic,I've seen them!The Sony is cheaper than the Pioneer and the Panasonic!
danielzavitz
You can get the Hitachi C42PD3000,which has the same screen as the one in Richer Sounds,for under £3000,which will include a stand,speakers and a tuner box all in!
any clues as to where wayne?
Originally posted by danielzavitz
any clues as to where wayne?
http://www.flattelly.co.uk/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=FTCS&Product_Code=HTTV42&Affiliate=dealtime
I'm thinking about getting this Hitachi myself.
Originally posted by Dan Druff
Yeah width is my biggest issue, though a great fat TV can be a nuisance, because it is so fat.
a great fat transvestite? :oh-hum: :nono: :clap:
:nuts:
Originally posted by danielzavitz
any clues as to where wayne?
John lewis will price match and give you 5yrs warranty,if you can find an online shop that do it cheaper.
http://www.hificonfidential.com/
HAVE IT FOR £3099.
Prob silly question but say I wanted to connect digibox and DVD player to Hitachi PMA400e plasma which is a great screen but not much connectivity, I presume that for best results I connect the Sony 735 DVD (component output) using 3 phono -> BNC, and Digibox with S-video? Sorry for the stupidy of the query..I'm new to plasma world and just looking at it online etc. :suspect:
Best picture you'll get from a scart out on a digibox onto a plasma is via an JS Tech RGB > VGA converter from www.rgb2svideo.com
Phayze, won't this (http://www.rgbtosvideo.com/rgb-yuv/rgb-yuv.htm) tie up my component input on the Plasma though?
Originally posted by danielzavitz
if the hitachi is a decent screen at £2500 then i'll go take a look at one, i was half expecting a response along the lines of, only a retard would buy one of those cheapo screens, but i may well be able to stretch to this (and the installation/stand etc)
cheers
If it's £2500 then it'll be the 32inch and not the 42inch version.
Originally posted by CrumpetMan
If it's £2500 then it'll be the 32inch and not the 42inch version.
The 42in Hitachi is £2500!
Maybe for the PMA400E but the 42PD3000 is still close to £3k.
Depends how much you want to spend on top of £2500 for connectivity and stand/bracket with the PMA400.
Also be careful with the sources. I found that pushing Ntl cable via a Pace box gave a bloody awful image on a a lot of channels with the 42PD3000. With only 1 user definable setting, you spend a lot of time buggering about everytime you change channels. In fact composite rather than RGB gave a better image in a lot of cases.
The preset factory settings are god awful - you could get sunburn from the dynamic mode!
And forget about using the centre input facility - its crap.
http://www.richersounds.co.uk/index.php?f=itemdetl.php&p=301126
:thumbs:
Originally posted by Dan Druff
Phayze, won't this (http://www.rgbtosvideo.com/rgb-yuv/rgb-yuv.htm) tie up my component input on the Plasma though?
Yes, but this (http://www.rgbtosvideo.com/rgb-vga/rgb-vga.htm) won't.
Originally posted by Wayne Moule
The 42in Hitachi is £2500!
Oh, the 400 model! But you'll need to add a few pounds more for stand/wall mount and cables/convertors so it'll probably work out at £3k anyway. Why not go for the 3000 model instead?
Hmmm...deja vu....3 posts back!:)
oops, I didn't see that :)
The 400 is HDTV compatible,the 3000 isn't,dilemma or what?
Originally posted by CrumpetMan
oops, I didn't see that :) :D
Originally posted by Wayne Moule
The 400 is HDTV compatible,the 3000 isn't,dilemma or what?
I think that the 400 also has a few extra screen saving facilities and also the ability to display side bars as black when watching non 16:9 ratio stuff. The 3000 has very light grey bars which I dont think can be changed. And they're bloody awful.:(
Originally posted by bossc@
I think that the 400 also has a few extra screen saving facilities and also the ability to display side bars as black when watching non 16:9 ratio stuff. The 3000 has very light grey bars which I dont think can be changed. And they're bloody awful.:(
Yeah,that's right,I forgot about the grey bars.Do you think they're meant to be silver to match the screen?
Can you get different stands for the 400 and if so what are they?
Originally posted by bossc@
I think that the 400 also has a few extra screen saving facilities and also the ability to display side bars as black when watching non 16:9 ratio stuff. The 3000 has very light grey bars which I dont think can be changed. And they're bloody awful.:(
I've just read on another Forum that the grey bars serve the purpose of saving that area from screen burn,if you watch a lot of 4:3 material,which seems feasable.
"If your panel has an option to switch on grey side bars in 4:3 mode I'd also do that when viewing 4:3 - again it stops uneven wear."
Originally posted by Wayne Moule
I've just read on another Forum that the grey bars serve the purpose of saving that area from screen burn,if you watch a lot of 4:3 material,which seems feasable.
"If your panel has an option to switch on grey side bars in 4:3 mode I'd also do that when viewing 4:3 - again it stops uneven wear."
I know what they are for but it does put you off compared to having the black of a CRT and the 400 does have the option to switch them to black.
If you're watching with the lights turned off then any dark scene is spoiled by the brightness of the side bars - it also highlights how poor the black level is.
So do the black bars on the 400 do the same job?
I don't think it's anything to do with the black level,they're just grey generated side bars.The black level is the same on both screens,as they are the same.
Originally posted by Wayne Moule
So do the black bars on the 400 do the same job?
I don't think it's anything to do with the black level,they're just grey generated side bars.The black level is the same on both screens,as they are the same.
Of course they do the same job - they'd do the same job on whatever display, panel, LCD or CRT you were watching. If you are watching somehting with a 4:3 aspect then of course you will have bars either side...and I know that the black level is the same for both screens.
What I am talking about is the perception you get from when you watch something. If you have VERY light grey bars it certainly distracts you a lot more than if you have black bars at either side.
Try turning your lights off and stick a couple of spotlights either side of your screen - see what I mean.
When I say that it highlights how poor the black level is, its bad enough watching something with blackbars but to me the light grey bars emphasise that the black level is quite poor on dark scenes - especially compared to either a conventional CRT or the Panny Plasmas. But then thats not an uncommon problem with plasmas anyway.
also what hidden costs are there, cables, brackets, tuners etc.
Answers:
I'd say no. If you see the cheaper models like the LG and Samsung sold by Richer next to the Panasonics and Pioneers, you'll probably agree that the picture is significantly better.
Personally, I prefer the Panasonic - thought it was best at the Bristol Hi-Fi show in February. There is a newer version out now so you might get some good discounts.
Last time I looked, they were around £3,000 but you do need to budget for stands/brackets etc I'd get a Freeview box rather than the analogue tuners.
Just checked: http://www.tmfsolutions.co.uk/homecinema_plasma_panasonic_th42pwd5bx.htm and the PWD5 is now £2,557
Answers:
the 2500 quid Hitachi in Richer sounds is very good, of comparable quality to the panny and pioneer (some would say better)
I don't know if it comes with a stand though, so you'll probably need a few hundred quid for bracket/stand, convertors and cables.
Answers:
Are the 42 inch Philips as sold by Comet for £3k any good?
Answers:
Nigel, just checked out the link, is £400 for installation normal? Seems a huge amount of money just to screw in a bracket and plug in some leads. I know you can go DIY but I must admit I am thinking of upgrading to a plasma and I was certainly thinking of having the shop install it but at this price :eek:
Answers:
From my viewings, the LG and Samsung plasmas looked AWFUL. I wasn't too impressed with the Philips either.
The Fujitsu, Hitachi, Panasonic and Pioneer screens were good though, the latter two easily being the best.
The five series Panasonic flickers a tinsy bit but is a bargain at £2,556 at www.nexnix.co.uk - the new six series is a step up at £3,000. But for its extra inch and markedly superior resolution I went for the Pioneer PDP 433MXE at £3,500.
Justin at Upgrade Heaven did me a great deal :)
Answers:
The series 5 Panny flicker was completely unacceptable to me, but a lot of people don't notice it. You really need to take a look at all the screens...
I went for a Hitachi as I could see the lower pixel resolution of the panny (as well as the flicker), and I thought the black level was better than the pioneer.
Nobody can tell you what to buy, you have to see them all for yourself, but even if you're working to a budget you'll end up with either the Pioneer, Panny or Hitachi. Everybody else does :)
Answers:
Yeah Pioneer, Hitachi and Panny would be on my shortlist..excellent review for Philips Pixel Plus 42" in Home Cinema Choice.."The screen has a definite 'wow' factor, the black level is particularly impressive..its hard not to be impressed by the 42PF9965. In every respect this is a might performer." Got a Best Buy Award..I presume the 37" version is the same..4 Scart connections (3 RGB).
Answers:
when I was looking I also thought the Pioneer mxe was the better screen (esp after the bristol show), but I also saw a samsung and the pioneer next to each other showing the same thing, and there wasn't £2k's worth of difference in quality between them.
Answers:
Originally posted by nictry
Nigel, just checked out the link, is £400 for installation normal? Seems a huge amount of money just to screw in a bracket and plug in some leads. I know you can go DIY but I must admit I am thinking of upgrading to a plasma and I was certainly thinking of having the shop install it but at this price :eek:
Didn't look at that bit! Seems a bit steep but I suspect you can just buy and have it delivered. I'd expect most firms will charge a sizeable whack for installing. Depends how you intend to set it up and how competent you are at fixing a wall mount.
As the site says: This unit is not supplied with feet so this is the minimum desk mount required - £131 for the pedestal stand.
Answers:
if the hitachi is a decent screen at £2500 then i'll go take a look at one, i was half expecting a response along the lines of, only a retard would buy one of those cheapo screens, but i may well be able to stretch to this (and the installation/stand etc)
cheers
Answers:
you wont need installation if your getting a stand:) just a spare person to help move the thing about
make sure its got all the connections you want and you've got the cables needed!
Answers:
yeah i say stand but wall mount is a definate possibility as well.
as far as a source goes, would i be right in thinking i could just run everything through the A/V amp and into the screen (in which case i'd already have all cables i needed)
Answers:
yes you can through the amp, but if your not using the component connections and just svideo then :gag:
Answers:
Depends on what sources you are using. A large screen like this shows up the deficiencies of interlaced signals. I'd strongly recommend connecting your DVD via component if possible, especially if it's capable of PAL/NTSC progressive scans.
Alternatively, you can get an external de-interlacer and feed everything through that.
Answers:
Originally posted by nigel_williams
Depends on what sources you are using. A large screen like this shows up the deficiencies of interlaced signals. I'd strongly recommend connecting your DVD via component if possible, especially if it's capable of PAL/NTSC progressive scans.
Alternatively, you can get an external de-interlacer and feed everything through that.
The Hitachi screen will hardly benefit from a progressive input due to it using ALIS technology.
On mine the best picture can be had by using RGB rather than component (in my opinion, obviously)
Answers:
Rather spend the money on a high end 32" or 36" CRT.
Got the Loewe Aconda and it puts all the low end plasmas (And most of the high-end) to shame.
Have a look at House of Fraser for a demo.
Answers:
ah but the reason i'm looking at plasma is the space, i already have a 32" panasonic but it takes up a big chunk of the living room, and god knows how much more a 36" would take.
Answers:
Yeah a 37" plasma would barely take up much more widthwise than some 32" CRT models! What appeals to me is not only are you getting every inch of screen (my 32" CRT is 30" of actual screen), and 21st Century looks, but plasmas are not affected by magnetic interference, which suits my personal speaker placement.
Answers:
well i was thinking more depth wise.......
Answers:
Yeah depth is important too, even if you don't mount it on the wall..a plasma could be moved a foot further away from my current viewing position on table top stand, and I can move centre speaker up to sit just below it.
Answers:
Originally posted by danielzavitz
well i was thinking more depth wise.......
:lol: sorry, just found that communication breakdown very amusing.
Answers:
Yeah width is my biggest issue, though a great fat TV can be a nuisance, because it is so fat.
Answers:
Has anybody looked at buying Sony's new 32" model?
Answers:
Sony's plasmas all look splendid in terms of their design but from my experience, the picture isn't as good as the established market leaders. I certainly prefered the look of the Pioneer MXE (which is why I'm buying one!)...
Another major minus point for Sony plasmas is that they are inordinately expensive.
Answers:
Originally posted by Grandmaster
Sony's plasmas all look splendid in terms of their design but from my experience, the picture isn't as good as the established market leaders. I certainly prefered the look of the Pioneer MXE (which is why I'm buying one!)...
Another major minus point for Sony plasmas is that they are inordinately expensive.
No no no no no,not true.
The Hitachi and the Sony are both Fujitsu screens,as are a lot and they are both fantastic,I've seen them!The Sony is cheaper than the Pioneer and the Panasonic!
danielzavitz
You can get the Hitachi C42PD3000,which has the same screen as the one in Richer Sounds,for under £3000,which will include a stand,speakers and a tuner box all in!
Answers:
any clues as to where wayne?
Answers:
Originally posted by danielzavitz
any clues as to where wayne?
http://www.flattelly.co.uk/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=FTCS&Product_Code=HTTV42&Affiliate=dealtime
I'm thinking about getting this Hitachi myself.
Answers:
Originally posted by Dan Druff
Yeah width is my biggest issue, though a great fat TV can be a nuisance, because it is so fat.
a great fat transvestite? :oh-hum: :nono: :clap:
Answers:
:nuts:
Answers:
Originally posted by danielzavitz
any clues as to where wayne?
John lewis will price match and give you 5yrs warranty,if you can find an online shop that do it cheaper.
Answers:
http://www.hificonfidential.com/
HAVE IT FOR £3099.
Answers:
Prob silly question but say I wanted to connect digibox and DVD player to Hitachi PMA400e plasma which is a great screen but not much connectivity, I presume that for best results I connect the Sony 735 DVD (component output) using 3 phono -> BNC, and Digibox with S-video? Sorry for the stupidy of the query..I'm new to plasma world and just looking at it online etc. :suspect:
Answers:
Best picture you'll get from a scart out on a digibox onto a plasma is via an JS Tech RGB > VGA converter from www.rgb2svideo.com
Answers:
Phayze, won't this (http://www.rgbtosvideo.com/rgb-yuv/rgb-yuv.htm) tie up my component input on the Plasma though?
Answers:
Originally posted by danielzavitz
if the hitachi is a decent screen at £2500 then i'll go take a look at one, i was half expecting a response along the lines of, only a retard would buy one of those cheapo screens, but i may well be able to stretch to this (and the installation/stand etc)
cheers
If it's £2500 then it'll be the 32inch and not the 42inch version.
Answers:
Originally posted by CrumpetMan
If it's £2500 then it'll be the 32inch and not the 42inch version.
The 42in Hitachi is £2500!
Answers:
Maybe for the PMA400E but the 42PD3000 is still close to £3k.
Depends how much you want to spend on top of £2500 for connectivity and stand/bracket with the PMA400.
Also be careful with the sources. I found that pushing Ntl cable via a Pace box gave a bloody awful image on a a lot of channels with the 42PD3000. With only 1 user definable setting, you spend a lot of time buggering about everytime you change channels. In fact composite rather than RGB gave a better image in a lot of cases.
The preset factory settings are god awful - you could get sunburn from the dynamic mode!
And forget about using the centre input facility - its crap.
Answers:
http://www.richersounds.co.uk/index.php?f=itemdetl.php&p=301126
:thumbs:
Answers:
Originally posted by Dan Druff
Phayze, won't this (http://www.rgbtosvideo.com/rgb-yuv/rgb-yuv.htm) tie up my component input on the Plasma though?
Yes, but this (http://www.rgbtosvideo.com/rgb-vga/rgb-vga.htm) won't.
Answers:
Originally posted by Wayne Moule
The 42in Hitachi is £2500!
Oh, the 400 model! But you'll need to add a few pounds more for stand/wall mount and cables/convertors so it'll probably work out at £3k anyway. Why not go for the 3000 model instead?
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Hmmm...deja vu....3 posts back!:)
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oops, I didn't see that :)
Answers:
The 400 is HDTV compatible,the 3000 isn't,dilemma or what?
Answers:
Originally posted by CrumpetMan
oops, I didn't see that :) :D
Answers:
Originally posted by Wayne Moule
The 400 is HDTV compatible,the 3000 isn't,dilemma or what?
I think that the 400 also has a few extra screen saving facilities and also the ability to display side bars as black when watching non 16:9 ratio stuff. The 3000 has very light grey bars which I dont think can be changed. And they're bloody awful.:(
Answers:
Originally posted by bossc@
I think that the 400 also has a few extra screen saving facilities and also the ability to display side bars as black when watching non 16:9 ratio stuff. The 3000 has very light grey bars which I dont think can be changed. And they're bloody awful.:(
Yeah,that's right,I forgot about the grey bars.Do you think they're meant to be silver to match the screen?
Can you get different stands for the 400 and if so what are they?
Answers:
Originally posted by bossc@
I think that the 400 also has a few extra screen saving facilities and also the ability to display side bars as black when watching non 16:9 ratio stuff. The 3000 has very light grey bars which I dont think can be changed. And they're bloody awful.:(
I've just read on another Forum that the grey bars serve the purpose of saving that area from screen burn,if you watch a lot of 4:3 material,which seems feasable.
"If your panel has an option to switch on grey side bars in 4:3 mode I'd also do that when viewing 4:3 - again it stops uneven wear."
Answers:
Originally posted by Wayne Moule
I've just read on another Forum that the grey bars serve the purpose of saving that area from screen burn,if you watch a lot of 4:3 material,which seems feasable.
"If your panel has an option to switch on grey side bars in 4:3 mode I'd also do that when viewing 4:3 - again it stops uneven wear."
I know what they are for but it does put you off compared to having the black of a CRT and the 400 does have the option to switch them to black.
If you're watching with the lights turned off then any dark scene is spoiled by the brightness of the side bars - it also highlights how poor the black level is.
Answers:
So do the black bars on the 400 do the same job?
I don't think it's anything to do with the black level,they're just grey generated side bars.The black level is the same on both screens,as they are the same.
Answers:
Originally posted by Wayne Moule
So do the black bars on the 400 do the same job?
I don't think it's anything to do with the black level,they're just grey generated side bars.The black level is the same on both screens,as they are the same.
Of course they do the same job - they'd do the same job on whatever display, panel, LCD or CRT you were watching. If you are watching somehting with a 4:3 aspect then of course you will have bars either side...and I know that the black level is the same for both screens.
What I am talking about is the perception you get from when you watch something. If you have VERY light grey bars it certainly distracts you a lot more than if you have black bars at either side.
Try turning your lights off and stick a couple of spotlights either side of your screen - see what I mean.
When I say that it highlights how poor the black level is, its bad enough watching something with blackbars but to me the light grey bars emphasise that the black level is quite poor on dark scenes - especially compared to either a conventional CRT or the Panny Plasmas. But then thats not an uncommon problem with plasmas anyway.
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