The Panasonic Viera TH-50PZ800U Plasma HDTV

In our earlier post, we reviewed the Hitachi UT37X902 Ultrathin LCD Monitor, which was a cool sleek LCD TV. Today we take a look at televisions from the other side of the war - The Plasma TVs.

There are many debates on the Internet regarding which is better - Plasma, or LCD, and while I won't take a stand on this (being more concerned about -'ahem', looks), plasma's aren't plagued by the viewing angles problem, which you recall, was an issue with the LCD's. As a result, action movies and sports are widely watched using this type of TV.



The Panasonic Viera TH-50PZ800U Plasma HDTV gets most points in the looks department, and is therefore a big favorite with us. The highlight of the design, is a full front cover of glass that presents a totally flat front. It's quite a stunner. Also, there are no buttons visible. Readers by now will be familiar with my preference for zero buttons at first sight, and will not be surprised by my enthusiastic admiration for this TV.

At the bottom of the screen, the panel flips down to reveal the buttons, and the HDMI inputs, as well as the AV inputs. The remote has an easy to use layout, and the buttons are of a comfortable enough size to navigate in the dark. No backlight though.

A major selling point of this TV, is the THX Display Certification. This consists of a set of minimum requirements that are necessary for proper viewing. Only those TV's that meet these specifications are given the certification. And if you mess up the settings on your TV, you can restore the recommended THX settings with a single click.

The Panasonic Viera TH-50PZ800U Plasma HDTV supports HDTV, which is a high definitino signal for audio and video. The difference between HDTV and ordinary TV is fairly significant, with the picture being sharper, and more vibrant.

In keeping with the 'Green' movement, the first time you set up the TV it asks you if you're in a home or a store. If you select 'home', it adjusts it's settings to save quite a lot of power by engaging the standard picture preset.

All in all, a spectacular TV for those willing to get the greatest and best "Irresistible Goodies". Find it at www.pricealerter.com

Hitachi UT37X902 Ultrathin LCD Monitor

The latest display of Goodies at the International CES exhihibition highlighed (as usual), gadgets that were on the cutting edge of technology. It's from exhibitions like these that goodies junkies like me get to know of the latest tech on the market.

Take for example, Hitachi's latest LCD entrant. What separates it from the rest?



You mean apart from the Ultra slick, ultr thin, and obviously ultra cool screen? Well, leaving aside the fact, that "Irresistible Goodies" rely entirely on looks, this LCD screen packs quite a punch when it comes to features that score over the competition.

It achieves it's minimalistic design by making a few adjustments. Take for example, the HDMI Input. HDMI stands for High Definition Multimedia Interface. It is the latest standard for interfacing screens with cables and set top boxes. The idea is to have a single place where high definition digital audio and video can be fed into the interface, which is basically just a connector. The interface supports all kinds of surround sound, and is now an industry standard.

The Hitachi UT37X902, in it's bid to get thinner, has only one of these. Most LCD's have two. But then who needs two? It's not as if you're going to have more than one feed at a time right? Anyway, I'm all for the idea of sacrificing functionality of cooler looks. Hey, they matter Ok?

Another problem that plagues LCD TV's, is the viewing angle. The pixels of an LCD light up to the required color depending on the electricity that is passed through them. This effect takes place only when viewed head on. Most LCD's can't be viewed properly from the side due to this.

However, the Hitachi UT37X902 has an amazing 80 degrees viewing angle, which is way more than most LCD's have at the time. This makes it an instant winner in more ways than one. Of course it's fragile. With biscuit like thinness, it has to be. Emmiting very little heat, and almost no noise, it must be placed 0.8 inches away from the wall while mounting, so that the heat can easily siphon off.

All in all, this Irresistible Goodie is just 1.5 inches thick! That makes one hell of an LCD screen, and worthy of a mention in this (oh so prestigious!) blog.

Find it's prices at www.pricealerter.com