Well after a couple of weeks of waiting our wedding present from my mum & dad finally arrived yesterday morning and i've now got it all set up and working as i want it.

It is.........................................

A Panasonic TH-42PZ80B 42" full HD plasma. Also joining it are a new glass stand for all our AV to live in and a new Mordaunt Short Alumni5 centre speaker to replace my old Wharfdale Valdus centre that was just too big to fit anywhere on the stand. :eek:

I was relieved when i powered the plasma up as after ordering it i found out about some "known" issues with this model.... (A bit like owning a skoda this Panasonic plasma milarky!!! )... One was a buzzing noise made by the TV.... Thankfully ours doesn't suffer from this as if you stand right next to ours with no sound on you can just here a normal plasma buzz and a slight whirring from the four fans on the back. The other was an issue with the firmware which Panasonic are refusing to acknowledge at present. Most of these sets are running FW 1102 which seems to have a problem with the picture quality in SD. Some people seem to have sets with firmware version 1105 and very recently version 1106 and these seem to have better SD picture quality. Thankfully ours has version 1106.

The new MS centre sound sgreat already and it obviously hasn't even bedded in yet.... Just a pity you can't see it more as it matches the TV with it's gloss black casing.

So everything moved onto the new stand except the 360 which has had to go alongside. Now just got to arrange getting a feed run down from our aerial so as to fire up the built in freeview and am thinking about some LED lighting fitted behind the screen in either white or blue and that's it.

Anyway some pics.........

Cheers

Dave.

Edited 30 July, 200817 yr by WaveyDavey

A lovely googlebox setup like that and you're watching baseball?

He's just pooped a star!

He's just pooped a star!

It's a UFO! Maybe he's just been probed! on live TV and in glorious HD as well. :eek:

Nice TV Dave:thumbup:, I've been really tempted by one of these myself but I think I'll hold out for the one with the Freesat HD receiver built in.

But yes - on a more serious note, nice set-up

What are those Onkyo (sp?) amps like?

It's a UFO! Maybe he's just been probed! on live TV and in glorious HD as well. :eek:

Nice TV Dave:thumbup:, I've been really tempted by one of these myself but I think I'll hold out for the one with the Freesat HD receiver built in.

It's out now........ PZ81 if i remember correctly..... Quite a few people over on the AVForums have got them. Some prefer it as where as this model has the 3rd HDMI on the front the PZ81 has it on the side.

Just got to try and get the SDHC card slot working now..... Think i need to format the card with the camera to get it to read properly as i think it was formatted with the PC last time and for some reason the TV doesn't want to read it.

Cheers

Dave.

But yes - on a more serious note, nice set-up

What are those Onkyo (sp?) amps like?

I don't know i'm afraid....... Mine's a Yamaya. :P

Full setup is...............

TV - 42" Panasonic TH42PZ80B

Sky+ - Pace PVR3

DVD - Bush 2080hdmi

Amp - Yamaha..... Can't remember model as i'm at work.

CD - Cambridge Audio Azure 640c

Speakers - Centre MS Alumni5, Fronts Sony units i have had for around 15 years... dunno what model they are it's been lost in the depth of time. Rears are JPW Mini Monitors.

Cheers

Dave.

Edited 26 July, 200817 yr by WaveyDavey

I don't know i'm afraid....... Mine's a Yamaya. :P

Cheers

Dave.

*puts glasses on*

Oh yeah!

What's that one like then, lol?

*puts glasses on*

Oh yeah!

What's that one like then, lol?

It's great got it from Richer Sounds a couple of years ago for about £250 i think reduced from £400-ish..... I'll try and remember to get the model number when i get home tonight.

I'll be selling the old Wharfedale Valdus centre soon too as it's too big for the new setup. Sounds great but just couldn't fit it in anywhere..... I've also got the 'other' DVD payer which is a multi-region Thomson player which when new cost £400-odd which i got through our staff reduction scheme as Thomson are part of our group of companies. With the Bush player being surprisingly good we just don't use it anymore so i've removed it from the setup. Hopefully will get a Panasonic Blu-Ray player towrds the end of the year as they are divx players too so like the Bush will have one player for all formats.

Cheers

Dave.

It's out now........ PZ81 if i remember correctly..... Quite a few people over on the AVForums have got them. Some prefer it as where as this model has the 3rd HDMI on the front the PZ81 has it on the side.

Just got to try and get the SDHC card slot working now..... Think i need to format the card with the camera to get it to read properly as i think it was formatted with the PC last time and for some reason the TV doesn't want to read it.

Cheers

Dave.

Yeah I have been watching the PZ81's appear in stores, just waiting for the right deal to come along now.

Yeah I have been watching the PZ81's appear in stores, just waiting for the right deal to come along now.

Keep your eye out...... Currys have started all this mad rush with their new scheme of lopping chunks of the prices of TV's...... Everybody else is matching the deals so just have a look out for the best warranty deal. We were originally getting ours from John Lewis but they couldn't give us a delivery date so we went to the Panasonic shop who confirmed we'd have it this last week.... Also my folks were getting a 37" PX80 which panasonic actually had in stock. They also gave us a full 5 year onsite warranty with temp screen if reqd and free delivery.

My folks TV was £569 and ours was £799 they were originally £799 and £1200-ish respectiveley.

John Lewis and Panasonic seemed to be the cheapest when you took into account the warranty as both gave 5 years for free and free delivery where as others charged for the warranty or delivery etc....

Cheers

Dave.

Keep your eye out...... Currys have started all this mad rush with their new scheme of lopping chunks of the prices of TV's...... Everybody else is matching the deals so just have a look out for the best warranty deal. We were originally getting ours from John Lewis but they couldn't give us a delivery date so we went to the Panasonic shop who confirmed we'd have it this last week.... Also my folks were getting a 37" PX80 which panasonic actually had in stock. They also gave us a full 5 year onsite warranty with temp screen if reqd and free delivery.

My folks TV was £569 and ours was £799 they were originally £799 and £1200-ish respectiveley.

John Lewis and Panasonic seemed to be the cheapest when you took into account the warranty as both gave 5 years for free and free delivery where as others charged for the warranty or delivery etc....

Cheers

Dave.

Just checked this morning and Curry's are already offering £100 off the 42" PZ81, still over a grand though. :eek:

I read your cursed thread and as I work in Sheffield I might have to pop into the Panasonic store and see what deal they can do.

I have one of those Yamaha Amps it rocks, my sub woofer has blown though :(

I want this panasonic![ATTACH]23028[/ATTACH]

I have one of those Yamaha Amps it rocks, my sub woofer has blown though :(

I want this panasonic![ATTACH]23028[/ATTACH]

That's a nice Plasma..... :D:D

I've managed to live without a sub as yet as the Sony speakers on the fronts have a very surprising basey sound and when i tried a sub from a friend there was a difference but actually not much. :eek: And not enough to put buying my own sub to the top of my to-do list etc....

I may get one at some point but things like the blu-ray player etc... will always take preference.

Cheers

Dave.

Just checked this morning and Curry's are already offering £100 off the 42" PZ81, still over a grand though. :eek:

I read your cursed thread and as I work in Sheffield I might have to pop into the Panasonic store and see what deal they can do.

Speak to the manager...... A chap called Mark.... He's very helpfull and has a list he keeps with the best price he can do on each TV........ Don't mention that though as us punters aren't supposed to know. Just have a word and ask what the best price would be etc.....

Cheers

Dave.

Thats impressive....

How did you get the wife to agree to put it infront of the window :rofl:

I have one of those Yamaha Amps it rocks, my sub woofer has blown though :(

I want this panasonic![ATTACH]23028[/ATTACH]

Reminds me of this... clicky...

Thats impressive....

How did you get the wife to agree to put it infront of the window :rofl:

She didn't want one of the sofas in front of the window so that's where the TV has been since we moved in 6 years ago.

While we've been looking into getting a plasma she's been dead set against it..... It's took around 2 years to get her to go from nothing bigger than a 32" up to getting the 42"..... Now she loves it and thinks it's sooooo much better and why haven't we done it before now!!!!!

Cheers

Dave.

Cheers

Dave.

She didn't want one of the sofas in front of the window so that's where the TV has been since we moved in 6 years ago.

While we've been looking into getting a plasma she's been dead set against it..... It's took around 2 years to get her to go from nothing bigger than a 32" up to getting the 42"..... Now she loves it and thinks it's sooooo much better and why haven't we done it before now!!!!!

Cheers

Dave.

Proof that size matters?

That's a nice Plasma..... :D:D

I've managed to live without a sub as yet as the Sony speakers on the fronts have a very surprising basey sound and when i tried a sub from a friend there was a difference but actually not much. :eek: And not enough to put buying my own sub to the top of my to-do list etc....

I may get one at some point but things like the blu-ray player etc... will always take preference.

Cheers

Dave.

I am using the Yamaha speakers that came with it, perhaps an excuse to upgrade! this is a picture of my office.[ATTACH]23035[/ATTACH]

I've added something else to the system today....... Will have a test run tonight and hopefully add some pictures later.

Cheers

Dave.

Edited 29 July, 200817 yr by WaveyDavey

Nice telly:thumbup:

Looks like the aspect ratio is wrong for the programme that’s on though:D

But yes - on a more serious note, nice set-up

What are those Onkyo (sp?) amps like?

I got a 605 a while back and I love it. it doesn’t want to drive 4 ohms speakers too much, but my 6 ohm stuff works brilliantly. Does full HD Audio too.

Nice telly:thumbup:

Looks like the aspect ratio is wrong for the programme that’s on though:D

NASN only transmit in 4:3 & SD unfortunately so the the TV has stretched the edges out.

Cheers

Dave.

NASN only transmit in 4:3 & SD unfortunately so the the TV has stretched the edges out.

Cheers

Dave.

if everything is set up correctly the TV should select the correct aspect ratio. Sorry to be a pedant, but it is one of my 'things' 4:3 stretched to 16:9. I need to get out more.:(