# Sharp AQUOS LC-70LE734U 70" ...or... Panasonic VIERA TC-P65VT30 65"



## Sonnie

We currently have a Samsung HL67A750 67" DLP in our great room cabinet that is used exclusively for Dish Network satellite. We watch football during the season... and a lot of recorded shows. They are all high definition, but they are Dish Network, so while the HD quality is not all that bad... it also ain't anything great... and certainly not like Blu-ray. Our Blu-ray viewing is done exclusively in our dedicated home theater with the projector.

We are _considering_ moving the 67" Samsung down to our lake home where we currently have a Panasonic 37". We probably would have stayed at the lake and watched Bama football tonight, but it's hard to commit to watching the Tide on a 37" display when we have a 67" at home. I know it sounds somewhat silly, but what can I say other than it is what it is. Roll Tide!

At any rate... if we do move the 67" to the lake, we will want to replace it with something else. I have wanted a Plasma, but have held back due to pricing. Now that the pricing has dropped a bit, maybe I can consider one again. I can pick up the VT30 or the LE734 for about $2500-2700... which is stretching what I want to spend. The final pricing may ultimately help me make up my mind. We can barely fit the 70" in our opening... and definitely will not go smaller than 65".

My question is one or the other of these better for this quality of satellite viewing... or is there anything else to consider in this price range?


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## Robert Zohn

These are both excellent TVs, but being a plasma-head I would lean towards the 65" VT30. Since you referenced most of the use to be Dish Networks, I can tell you Panasonic's new internal LSI super video processing chip does an excellent job in reducing compression artifacts and De-interlacing 1080i to 1080p content. You will see more micro-blocking and not as good motion resolution on the LCD display.

Also off axes viewing is better with plasma technology.

As you know the Sharp's LCD/LED TV will be best high ambient light viewing and Panasonic's pdp will do best in low light conditions. So consideration on the ratio of daytime (unless you have good light blocking window treatments) and night viewing may help in making the final decision. 

Hope this helps more than adds further confusion in making the best decision for your application.

-Robert


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## Sonnie

Thanks for the info Robert... just what I was looking for.

It will be a matter of weighing out the pros and cons I suppose.

The plasma offers the benefit of off axis viewing... and with our room setup that is a positive, especially if we have company... and the improvement in viewing satellite sounds promising.

On the other hand... we do have windows across the entire back of the room. They are not on the back of the house though. There is another enclosed room on the back side of the one (front of the room) window and a screened porch on the back side of the french doors and the other back window. The only time the sun shines in is late evening, which is when we turn the blinds. I would also say that probably 80% of our viewing is in the evening since we are not here much of the daytime during the week. About the only viewing we do in the daytime is some Saturday afternoons and on Sunday afternoons (when we are not napping... :bigsmile.

Here are a couple of shots at 1:00PM CST:

With flash and without flash, respectively...


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## mechman

I'd go with the vt30 Sonnie. I have an older 42" plasma on my porch, which is three windowed walls, and the glare isn't that bad.


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## Sonnie

I am leaning heavily in that direction.


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## leej

I'm looking at the windows and a seat on the opposit side. Reflections, even with the blinds shut, may be a problem during daylight hours. The fact is that most large screens are glossy and reflect. However, I beleive that the Sharp has a simi-matt screen, which may be something you'd benefit from. If the daytime reflections aren't a problem, I'd have to go with the better picture quality of the Panasonic.


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## Sonnie

I wonder what you would call that screen on the Samsung we have now?

Of course, very rarely is anyone sitting there, especially during the day. My wife generally sits on the left side on the end nearer to my recliner. Most of our company/guests are at night time.


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## leej

Watch mostly at night? In that case, I wouldn't hesitate and get the Panasonic. I have a problem with windows on one side, myself and hesitated to purchase the Samsung 64D8000 for the reflections. I have to adjust my seating direction during the day, but like you, I watch much more at night. I use a full motion mount to adjust the angle, but it can only do so much. Sports on Sunday afternoon can be an issue (too many guys), but the picture quality is so much better than the 70" Sharp I was considering, that I had to go with the plasma. It had a 30 day retrun policy, so I tried it and never considered the return. The Panasonic VT should be even better.
Great looking room, BTW.


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## Sonnie

Thanks Lee...

Yeah... mostly night viewing. Only the occasional Saturday afternoon game... and if it's Bama, I usually watch those games in the theater room. Yesterday afternoon we were flipping between NASCAR and NFL, but I also had my laptop in my lap and online most of the afternoon, so it isn't like I was beamed in on the TV.


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## mechman

I think that both the 80% night viewing and the viewing angles make the VT30 the best choice.


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## Sonnie

Yeah... it's looking more and more like the VT30 is going to be the one.

I would love to have one of those PRO-70X5FD Elites, but even at a pretty good discount I cannot justify it for satellite only viewing. I have found a really good open box deal on one of the VT30's, so that helps me lean more that way than before.


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## RTS100x5

We just installed the Auquos 70 in an office... No doubt its a fantastic picture... but you cannot go wrong w the 65 Pana..... tough choice but I would go Panasonic, not just bv I own one but just bc I own one


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## Sonnie

It is on its way... :T


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## kmtoner

I'm replacing a similar set (Mistubishi 65 inch DLP). I have narrowed my options to the same models. Unlike the OP, my room is a basement with few windows. However, it does have a huge number of can lights. My remote light control dims them but doesn't shut the overhead lights all the way off, and my wife also blocks my attempts to leave the lights completely off.

When I look at the Panny 65VT30 at BB, the glare is pretty bad and noticeably worse than the Sharp 734U. OTOH, I like the picture on the VT30 and see far too much digital blotchiness on the Sharp, broadcasting a heavily split HD signal at Best Buy.

I thought about solving my dilemma by throwing more money at the problem. But my many hours of sifting for info at AVSForum makes me a little worried about the quality of the Sony 929. Sony also announced this weekend that it's ending its flat screen joint venture, it lost something like $38 billion last quarter, and the TV division is doing worse than any other division. The 70 inch Elite looks great, but it just doesn't look twice as good so as to justify more than twice the price.

So, every day I switch back and forth between a Sharp for $500 more, but free glasses and another 5 diagonal inches, versus a Panasonic plasma that worries me about glare and my kids' heavy Xbox use.

Any advice is greatly appreciated.


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## Sonnie

I can't comment on the Xbox, but I can tell you that with lights all around the top of our room and with full windows across the back, we have not had any issues with reflections or glare on the display. It is non-existent for us in real world use. You might figure in BB that the lighting is sometimes extreme, so it would hardly replicate your room.

Welcome to HTS!


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## Sonnie

I can't comment on the Xbox, but I can tell you that with lights all around the top of our room and with full windows across the back, we have not had any issues with reflections or glare on the display. It is non-existent for us in real world use. You might figure in BB that the lighting is sometimes extreme, so it would hardly replicate your room.

Welcome to HTS!


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## leej

I struggled with the same dilemma for quite a while. I replaced a matte screen Sony, which did a pretty good job of diffusing the reflections. I finally decided that the far better picture of the Plasma was the way to go. Especially, since the screen on the Sharp isn’t a full matte screen. I got a tilt wall mount bracket to help with some window reflections, for daytime viewing. Then, as discussed in this thread, http://www.hometheatershack.com/for...9454-new-cnet-article-screen-reflections.html, I added some indirect lighting for the room that causes no reflections. 
I couldn’t find a large screen, with picture quality that diffused the reflections enough, so I gave in and bought a Samsung PN64D8000 (due to a great price) and I am so glad that I did. I wouldn’t think twice and just get the Panasonic.


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