I must admit the rush for flat screen TV has confused me. Firstly, there was the issue of picture quality as the early LCD screens were rubbished compared to a good tube CRT screen. Plasma screens seemed to have the edge on picture quality, with a more natural look and better blacks. However, their major drawback for the energy conscious is that they consume more energy in certain conditions.
Secondly, the issue of what “HD ready” means compared to a “Genuine HD” telly, or “1080” as it is referred to now. So you’ve got a “HD ready” telly, does this mean you will get full high definition images on it? Sorry! NO. Yes, you will get a higher resolution picture than a standard TV, if you have FREESAT HD, SKY HD or a Blu-Ray player, however you will not be getting the full picture that’s being broadcast! Why? Because your “HD ready” TV only has to be able to show a higher definition picture than a standard TV. FREESAT and SKY HD channels are broadcast at 1920 x 1080 pixel Resolution, and your “HD ready” telly may only be 1024 x 768 pixel. Have consumers been sold short? We think so. And where do most people put their nice flat TVs? In the corner of the room, so where are the space saving benefits!
So would I buy the new Panasonic HDTV with its built-in FREESAT receiver? Yes – it’s 1080p, so you will be experiencing genuine High definition programming, that’s good news – plus no subscription too. It’s Plasma, so the picture should be good. Drawbacks, it uses four times more power than my old telly and I can’t record any HD programmes. So I’m holding back until you can get a LED telly (that use less power) with a built in PVR recorder.
