Need Tips For Plasma/lcd Buying In Thailand

[suzib]

With the prices having come down so much in recent months, I'm considering buying an LCD or plasma TV. But with the model numbers in Thailand different than those in the US or UK, I'm having a hard time finding reviews to help me sort through the mountain of information.

I thought maybe someone here with experience in Thailand could help me wade through this.

This is what I want to be able to do:

Watch sports on UBC (I read here that some of these brands handle UBC better than others. Also I know plasmas can be better for sport than LCD due to blur.)

Play video games (I know LCD was better than plasma in the past for this do to the threat of image burn, but that newer plasmas don't have this problem as much.)

Watch HD movies in at least 720p that are downloaded from Internet (will these play at this quality if hooked up through my cheap DVD player and played on a thumb drive -- somehow I doubt that -- or do I need a USB on the TV itself? Or if I go for one of the media centers I saw talked about on here, do I even need to bother with getting a TV that plays USB video?)

Possibly hook up to my laptop. (This isn't the most important because if I get a media center I really won't need to do this, and my laptop is old and doesn't have HDMI port. But is it worth getting a TV with S-Video to do this, or is the image quality on that not worth it?)

I'd like to get at least 42'' (but no bigger than 50 as my place isn't that big) and my budget is no more than 40k baht, though I'd like to pay less if possible.

I was looking at the LG 50PQ30R plasma which is currently on sale at Powerbuy for 33,990. It seems like a great price but was wondering if anyone had any experience with it here. Can get the same series in 42'' for 24,900.

Would be open to any brand/model suggestions from anyone who has experince with these things. And apologies for the long post.

Many thanks,

suzib

[astral]

Watch sports on UBC (I read here that some of these brands handle UBC better than others. Also I know plasmas can be better for sport than LCD due to blur.)

I doubt you will see the difference on the UBC signals

Watch HD movies in at least 720p that are downloaded from Internet (will these play at this quality

Video off the internet often does not reach 720

Possibly hook up to my laptop. (This isn't the most important because if I get a media center I really won't need to do this, and my laptop is old and doesn't have HDMI port. But is it worth getting a TV with S-Video to do this, or is the image quality on that not worth it?)

You will find the new TV has a PC socket, so you can feed the vga signal direct from the PC

I'd like to get at least 42'' (but no bigger than 50 as my place isn't that big) and my budget is no more than 40k baht, though I'd like to pay less if possible.

I was looking at the LG 50PQ30R plasma which is currently on sale at Powerbuy for 33,990.

Watch out, many of the plasmas are only 720...... Even the 50" LG

See http://www.lge.com/uk/tv-audio-video/telev...tv-50PQ6000.jsp

Plasma is also twice as heavy as the LCD (37kg vs 20-25kg), so make sure the table where you plan to put it is strong

[suzib]

I doubt you will see the difference on the UBC signals

Probably not. At the same time, some models display standard definition better than others, so I guess that will be important with the quality of UBC.

Video off the internet often does not reach 720

Often it does, and I want to be able to watch it.

You will find the new TV has a PC socket, so you can feed the vga signal direct from the PC

Do most have this, as I don't see it really listed as I feature when I look up specs online?

Watch out, many of the plasmas are only 720...... Even the 50" LG Plasma is also twice as heavy as the LCD (37kg vs 20-25kg), so make sure the table where you plan to put it is strong

Thanks, I was aware of that. Not really sure if on a plasma the difference between 720 and 1080 would really be that noticeable -- although 50 is pushing the limits from what I've read.

Weight not really a concern for me at all. The CRT TV I have now is pretty heavy.

[astral]

You will find the new TV has a PC socket, so you can feed the vga signal direct from the PC

Do most have this, as I don't see it really listed as I feature when I look up specs online?

Standard on all LCD and Plasma TV's that I have looked at.

It makes them ideal as large computer monitors.

[ignis]

Looking on Monday in Home Pro as they have a Sale.... need new TV for Master bedroom

The Panasonic 42" Plasma 1920x1080 pixels was 31,990 baht..

They had lots of other makes but my present living room TV is Panasonic 42" Plasma and is wonderful and now 3 years old..

The bedroom LG 42" is bad very bad and just over 4 years old and used max of 2 hours per night since new + has been repaired !!!

The 29" Panasonic in one of the spare rooms is 9 years old and still working great.

Myself will not even look again at anything LG....... have 2 large twin door Fridge Freezers [190x90x60], The LG has been repaired 3 times, the Panasonic never.. Have air conditioners all Panasonic, + have 10 Fans, the oldest 2 that have never been repaired are Panasonic.., 5 of the others have all had new motors + one expensive electronic fan has had 2 motors and for the past year is in the junk room not working..

2x DVD players, 2x Video players, MP3 player all between 5 - 10 years old and all trouble free Panasonic

Edit: You may want to look here http://www.powerbuy.co.th/CategoryPage.aspx?Cat_ID=53 there are lots on offer at PowerBuy just click on the model and it will give details of that TV/LCD/Plasma

Edited August 19, 2009 by ignis

[jcgodber]

I have a 50 inch 720p LG Plasma with it's own built in hard drive and I am I am very happy with it. I have the LG connected to a dedicated home theater computer that has 4T.B of hard drive and networked to another 3 T.B. via a HDMI cable and the sound is sent to my Sony DTS system If I had to do it all again I would buy the LG 60 inch or a 65 inch if I could find one and with 1080P . Now that I am thinking about itmaybe it is time to let the good wife have the 50 for downstairs to watch her Thai soaps and game shows.

[suzib]

Funny how different people have different experiences with certain brands -- Toshiba is my bogey brand. LG has always been pretty good to me and my current LG TV has been going for years with no problems.

I'm not opposed to Panasonic, but the prices for many of the models I've looked at seem quite high versus the competition, although not as high as Samsung, which seems really overpriced in Thailand. Do you have UBC hooked up to your Panny, ignis? If so how do you find it looks? I hear some models/brands are really bad for standard def and others play it pretty good.

How about you jc, does your LG look alright with UBC?

[ignis]

Do you have UBC hooked up to your Panny, ignis?

NO, would not need a 1920x1080 Plasma for UBC..

I have a Move Dish with a Dreambox, so get all 32 Satellites over Thailand.

[ignis]

not as high as Samsung, which seems really overpriced in Thailand

You need to look on the model....

Yesterday afternoon in Big C Samsung was about the same price as all the other brand names, but they had only Series 3 & 4, Home Pro more expensive but they had newer models 5, 6 & 7 Series, Carrefour had Series 5 & 6...

My Plasma Panasonic New Model when I bought over 3 years ago in a 'Shock' Sale at Home Pro was 84,000 reduced to 54,000... yesterday in Big C they had the same model priced at 29,999. of course this is a old model now...

I did look at the 50" LG [to put downstairs and take the Panasonic to the bedroom] but the picture was poor...

Edit: to connect to TV they had to use a very long cable maybe this was the reason?

Anyway at the end of the day I bought a new model 'Philips' 32" LCD, as I only watch this for max of 2 hours a day when I go to bed [also connected to a Dreambox] The picture is fine but Not as good as the 42" Panasonic Plasma in the living-room.

I will say DO ask the seller to connect the TV your thinking of buying to the TV channel before you buy [there on with a DVD playing] some places also have UBC so ask. and then to view connected...

In Carrefour the best picture was a Samsung Series 6 but expensive, the next best was the Philips, the bottom 2 were JVC & LG connected to live TV.

Edited August 21, 2009 by ignis

[jcgodber]

Funny how different people have different experiences with certain brands -- Toshiba is my bogey brand. LG has always been pretty good to me and my current LG TV has been going for years with no problems.

I'm not opposed to Panasonic, but the prices for many of the models I've looked at seem quite high versus the competition, although not as high as Samsung, which seems really overpriced in Thailand. Do you have UBC hooked up to your Panny, ignis? If so how do you find it looks? I hear some models/brands are really bad for standard def and others play it pretty good.

How about you jc, does your LG look alright with UBC?

Well I must first say that I am very spoiled as most what I watch is Bluray 720p that is still up around 7 or 8 g.b. in content for movies

As for UBC well it is watchable but it is just about the only choice you have here in Thailand. I also have a big dish with move and a Dream box connected to the internet