Plasma TV Display

[brucemillar]

Folks

I now have (long story) a fully working 42" Fujitsu Plasma Display panel in perfect condition.

When new it came with a separate media box which controls the inputs to the display.

The PSU in the media box has failed and attempts at replacement, repair etc have proved uneconomical.

Now... If I plug my SKY box straight into the panel (without using the media box) I get a picture. I cannot change the format of the picture from the default panel setting which means that it is incorrect and squashed into the middle of the panel.

Is there any convertor or means that I could adopt that would allow me to change the picture formatting?

Or is there anybody on here who could repair the PSU which I suspect has faulty caps (but may have other damage?

FYI. IT powers up and works but switches into standby after an indeterminate time from minutes to hours. Where it then just sits there with the red standby led flashing.

 

[boxbrownie]

For the cost of getting the PSU replaced you could buy a new 42" display I expect.

 

[boxbrownie]

Panasonic VIERA TX42A400B | 42 inch LED TV 1080p HD Freeview HD | Richer Sounds

Samsung UE40H5000 | 40 inch LED TV 1080p HD Freeview HD | Richer Sounds

 

[brucemillar]

Maybe. But I just bought a PSU for mi in-laws SAMSUNG. £20.

My Fujitsu ws £4k when new and being Plasma still has a fantastic picture. Just seems such a waste to bin a perfectly good monitor.

 

[Chrishazle]

Don't bin a plasma for an LED - the viewing angle available on an LED TV is very narrow, whereas the plasma is very wide. Went through this recently, looked at a load of modern TV's in John Lewis, could not believe the drop in picture quality moving just a couple of feet left or right of centre - so bought a second hand Panasonic 50" plasma instead (to go with our 37" and 32" Panasonic plasmas!)

 

[brucemillar]

Don't bin a plasma for an LED - the viewing angle available on an LED TV is very narrow, whereas the plasma is very wide. Went through this recently, looked at a load of modern TV's in John Lewis, could not believe the drop in picture quality moving just a couple of feet left or right of centre - so bought a second hand Panasonic 50" plasma instead (to go with our 37" and 32" Panasonic plasmas!)

.... how correct you are. The Plasma still has a much superior picture to any LED panels. I have a 55" LG LED and the black level lets it down badly. Having said that it ws the best of the bunch for "black levels" in the LED market.

I am wondering if I could hook up a freeview box?

 

[Rashman]

I love my Plasmas.
I have 2x 50" Panasonic Vieras.
1 in the games room and one in the lounge.

 

[brucemillar]

I love my Plasmas.
I have 2x 50" Panasonic Vieras.
1 in the games room and one in the lounge.

Two... That's just greedy. Give one to me immediately....

 

[KillerHERTZ]

Just bought a series 6 Samsung 48" LED telly, viewing angle is perfect from anywhere. Far greater than any plasma (I have had plasma's before).

Recent Telly's (non budget ones) have come on loads recently.

Plasmas are old, inefficient tech.

 

[Rashman]

Just bought a series 6 Samsung 48" LED telly, viewing angle is perfect from anywhere. Far greater than any plasma (I have had plasma's before).

Recent Telly's (non budget ones) have come on loads recently.

Plasmas are old, inefficient tech.

Plasma's give a much better picture in my opinion.
Arguably better for gaming too.

Movies and games look shockingly bad on my friends LED tv.
Plasma's are an older technology but certainly not inefficient.
They're actually more efficient at their job in my opinion.
They are, however, viewed as less energy efficient, if that's what you mean.

Having said this, my Panasonics have a "B" energy rating.

Besides, energy efficiency is not really a priority for me when picking a large TV to go with my 7.2 surround system to play Battlefield 4 on

 

[KillerHERTZ]

And what spec/make/age is your friends LED telly?

Not seen a plasma come close to this new telly just bought. - I have had plasmas before.

'B' is poor these days, think A++ for a decent LED (about a 12p saving a year )


You guys are aren't mistaking LCD for LED right?

 

[Rashman]

Two... That's just greedy. Give one to me immediately....

When I bought my first Viera, they had gone down to £380.
For a 50" Viera Plasma, this was the bargain of the century.

I then saw that they had dropped to £350!
So I, being someone who likes having spares, decided to buy a second one.

The idea was to keep it as a spare but I had to fire it up to make sure it was all ok.
Once out of the box, I decided to put it to use.
From that moment, the gaming/ movie room was born!
Which then prompted the purchase of a second 7.2 home cinema system

 

[Rashman]

And what spec/make/age is your friends LED telly?

Not seen a plasma come close to this new telly just bought. - I have had plasmas before.

'B' is poor these days, think A++ for a decent LED (about a 12p saving a year )

A,B,C... X,Y,Z

They're just letters to me.
TV's certainly have improved but I'm still partial to a large Plasma

They'll do me for a few years yet.
Next purchase will be one of these 4K Ultra HD thingy-ma-jigs.

 

[Rashman]

..

You guys are aren't mistaking LCD for LED right?

Ahhhh... I thought you said P1!
I meant 650.

 

[KillerHERTZ]

LCDs light the entire screen at all times, making viewing angles poor and blacks 'grey'

LEDs only light area required and leave the rest of the screen dark, virtually removing the 'grey' effect.

From the above comments it sounds like you guys are comparing LCDs


Sorry for running thread off topic!

 

[Simon_M]

Can you not adjust the picture size in the Sky settings on the box?

 

[brucemillar]

Can you not adjust the picture size in the Sky settings on the box?

Simon

Tried that. The sky box settings change but the panel does not.

Karl. No I have a 55" LED this years model. Sorry pic is not as good as Plasma and my LG is "top of the range"

Sent from my iPhone using MBClub UK

 

[Chrishazle]

I bought my 37" Panasonic Viera plasma 6 years ago "half price" (£700+) when Panasonic decided to discontinue the silver screen surround and only do black! The 50" Viera plasma we bought second hand off Ebay just a few months ago for £270 - has Freesat HD built in but only Freeview SD, which is a shame - but I have a Sky+ HD box as well so get the FTA HD programs that way. Also have a Panasonic DVDR that has Freeview SD built in, but if you HDMI it to the TV it upscales en route, so picture quality is superb (it also upscales DVD's and video tapes when playing or when recording from tape to DVD).

My viewing angle comparison was based on the plethora of screens on display at our local John Lewis Home store - and none of them were plasma, Panasonic stopped making plasma over a year ago and I believe there are only a couple of manufacturers now offering plasma TV's, mainly because of this "energy efficiency" 12p/year saving!!

 

[Rashman]

When I bought my second Panasonic Plasma, I had to go to Tunbridge Wells to get it.

Glad I did because the only other one available was in Wales!

 

[Satch]

LCDs light the entire screen at all times, making viewing angles poor and blacks 'grey'

LEDs only light area required and leave the rest of the screen dark, virtually removing the 'grey' effect.

From the above comments it sounds like you guys are comparing LCDs


Sorry for running thread off topic!

Hmm need to be a bit careful here. An "LED" TV is usually an LCD TV with various complications of LED backlighting.

LED TV Reviews ? Best LED TVs by Samsung, LG, etc.

Have been some real improvements recently in LCD TV's but if you have got a plasma screen (especially one above 42") hang on to it.

OLED promises a great deal but makers are pulling back because it is still difficult & expensive to make them, especially 4k versions, which is seen as the future. (3D anyone?)

So right now a bit of a gap in the market: bigger plasmas fading away, makers marking time on volume manufacturing of OLED units until they have hammered out production and quality issues so stuck with LCD for larger screens

Some are really good but yet to see one that is as good as my 46" Panasonic plasma. Self & Mrs S. watched Wolf Hall at her sister's place last week on a big, not very wonderful LCD and during the candlelit scenes could see very little detail in the darker areas (i.e. most of it......)

Watched a recording of same last evening at home on the plasma and it was a wholly different experience.

Useful summary of current (not entirely happy) position

http://www.techradar.com/news/television/tv-buying-guide-2014-1271407

Note warning about IPS (In-plane switching) LED displays