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Here’s the latest bargain, the Panasonic DMR-EZ28E, down to £152 with FREE delivery at 24 Electric!

We’re going to have a Reevoo Tidy Up now with this bargain Panasonic MC-E3002 upright vacuum cleaner - down from RRP of £100 to £54 with free delvery at John Lewis.

Found a microwave deal!  This Panasonic NN-E273, down from RRP of £90 to £69 with free delivery at Laskys.

Since our last post on what Panasonic TV model numbers mean, Panasonic have changed the way they use model numbers.  Here is a quick guide to decoding the new product numbers, part of our ongoing series on understanding TV model names.

The first two letters are no longer a simple guide to the type of screen.  In the new system, both plasma and LCD screen model numbers start with TX.  Older plasma screen models start with TH.

- TH is used for older plasma screens (pre-2009)
- TX for LCD screens and newer plasma screens (2009 onwards)

The third letter refers to the type of screen

- P for plasma
- L for LCD

The first two numbers refer to the screen size in inches.

The next numbers and letters are the series. Full details of the newly launched series can be found at Panasonic’s website: click here for information on Panasonic’s new LCD TVs or click here for information on their new plasma TVs.

Finally, the B that’s sometimes included in the product name stands for region B – the UK.

Heard about all the 3D TVs ready to rock our world? Well gear yourself up for a new range of 3D appliances – the Panasonic 3D washing machines. Oh yes. Viewing goggles not included. But before you think we’re all going to be sitting watching movies on our washers, it’s not that exciting.

Panasonic have recognised the need for our washing machines to handle their loads in a different way. They say that the machines of today will spin your washing and as a result, it will all stick to the sides of the drum, meaning that your clothes suffer from an inefficient wash. But with this 3D jiggery pokery, it will sense the weight of your load, how fast and hard it falls from the top of the drum to the bottom and then use just the right amount of spin to make sure all your threads get a good dosing of soap on all sides.

And if that wasn’t enough, they’re also super green. One of the machines, the NA-16VX1, operates to the prestigious EU A-20% energy efficiency standard and so uses 20% less energy than an ordinary A-category washer. All of the washers have shorter washes and use less water than the average machine too.

The tilted drum contributes to the water saving and the spin sense magic helps save energy by reducing unnecessary spin.

If you’re loving the concept, check out the Panasonic website for more details. If you’re looking for a more conventional machine, check out the washing machine reviews before you buy.

via Electricpig

NB - this guide has been updated.  See the updated Panasonic TV model numbers post.

Today we’re continuing our guide to understanding TV model names. At first glance, TV product names are generally pretty complicated, unmemorable and unpronouncable combinations of letters and numbers. To the uninitiated this doesn’t help when you’re trying to find your way around the large television market.

However, closer inspection does often reveal some logic behind the names manufacturers give to their latest gift to the world. Today I’m going to walk through Panasonic’s naming conventions.

The first letters tell you a little about the type of screen:

- TH for plasma
- TX for LCD

The first two numbers refer to the screen size in inches.

The next letters and numbers are the series:

- P series are always plamsas
- L series are always LCDs
- A Z means the TV is Full HD
- An X means the TV is HD Ready, but not Full HD

Panasonic currently has the following series:

Panasonic Full HD LCD TVs:

- LZD800 (37″)
- LZD81 (32″, 37″)
- LZD85 (32″, 37″)
- LZD80 (32″, 37″)

Panasonic HD Ready LCD TVs:

- LXD85 (32″)
- LXD80 (26″, 32″)
- LXD8 (19″, 26″, 32″)

Panasonic Full HD plasma TVs:

- PZ800 (42″, 50″, 58″, 65″)
- PZ81 (42″, 46″, 50″)
- PZ85 (42″, 46″)
- PZ80 (42″, 46″)
- PZ8 (42″, 46″)

Panasonic HD Ready plasma TVs:

- PX80 (37″, 42″)
- PX8 (37″, 42″, 50″)

You can find out more about each series in Panasonic’s brochure (10mb pdf)

Finally, the B that’s sometimes included in the product name stands for region B – the UK.

Hi, I came across your site and your video explained alot, I have two questions:
1) What are the best three, value for money (up to £600) easy setup, standard definition, HD ready 37″ LCD televisions?
2) Is 1080p and 33,000 - 1 ratio as important for a 37″ TV as it is for a larger screen TV?

John, 51, NHS worker from Whitley Bay

I’ll tackle your second question first. People debate how important 1080p is for medium size screens like 37″. It partly depends on how close you are sitting to the TV and how good your eyesight is. If you don’t think you’ll be watching a lot of HD content I’d suggest that it’s probably not worth the extra outlay.

Contrast ratio on the other hand is important for all screen sizes, but as I said in the video it’s not the be-all-and-end-all of screen quality, and it’s often an unreliable number, so I would suggest using the ‘image quality’ ratings.

To answer your first question, here’s a link to the top rated TVs in your price range.

I’d suggest taking a look at the Panasonic Th-37PX80B.

It has one of the highest ratings for screen quality in this group, and a couple of the reviews mention good SD quality. You might want to watch out for a relatively low sound quality rating with that model however.

For all round performance at a good price, this Samsung 4 Series also looks like a good choice. One reviewer mentions that the Freeview picture is good.

For a Full HD (1080p) option, take a look at the LG 37LG6000. Not as many reviews, but several of the TVs ranked above it get poor reviews for their SD quality, and this model has a very good picture quality rating so far.

We’re onto DVD recorders this week. I know that most Christmas telly is awful but you do get the odd great film that’s worth recording. They’re also really handy for recording series of your favourite dramas and sitcoms so that you have your own set.

Top ten DVD recorders

1.       Samsung DVD-R155 - £101

2.       Sony RDRHXD890 - £160

3.       Panasonic DMR-EX78 - £205

4.       Panasonic DMR-EX768 - £171

5.       Panasonic DMR-EZ28E - £115

6.       Sony RDR-HXD870 - £100

7.       Toshiba RD-17 - £100

8.       LG DRT389H - £103

9.       Panasonic DMR-EZ27 - £100

10.     Sony RDR-GX350 - £80

The Samsung DVD-R155 has some impressive reviews, despite its lack of a tuner which means that you won’t be able to record two programmes at once:

“Good solid recorder, easy to use, very impressed with the upscaling.”

“Does what it says on the tin. Great quality recorder/player for the money and looks slick.”

“Not multi regional but you can re code it for all regions easily from the internet”

If you want a good all-rounder that’s great value for money, go for the £155 Panasonic DMR-EZ28E. It comes with built-in a Freeview digital tuner and it will play and record on most discs.

When you’re looking for a DVD recorder, make sure it has the functionality you require. If you like recording the odd episode of Eastenders quickly, make sure it has a hard drive so that you don’t have to fiddle around with discs before you can record anything. Also check for how many tuners the machine has. If a DVD recorder has more than one tuner, it will let you record more than one programme at the same time. Do you need a recorder with built-in VHS so that you can still watch all your classics? And finally, make sure it will play and record on the discs you’ll be using.

Time for another question from a reader:

I am looking to buy a new tv of around 37 to 40in and I am considering the Panasonic TH-37PX80B or Sony’s KDL 40V4000.

I will be watching standard defintion via Sky+ and DVDs. I do not intend to move to HD for some time.

I watch a lot of sport and I am concerned that the Sony could be subject to motion blur.

The awards in What HiFi have the Panasonic as the best 37in and the Sony as the best 40in.

My problem is which to chose between the tv?

- Paul, 51, Nottinghamshire. (’Man Utd fan’)

The main difference between these TVs, apart from the screen size, is that for ~£100 extra, the Sony is Full HD and has a higher reported contrast - but neither feature is particularly important if you’re planning to watch a lot of sport.

The Sony is also more highly rated than the Panasonic by confirmed purchasers on Reevoo.

A couple of the Sony reviewers did mention that this TV might not be great for watching football, but several of the reviews of the Panasonic mention positively that it doesn’s suffer from motion blur.

For me it would be the Panasonic of those two, but you should also consider the other highly rated 37 inch TV options.

For example this LG 37LG510 gets a good rating for image quality, with no-one reporting motion blur problems, and its even cheaper than the Pana.

Robert from Cardiff recently got in touch with me to ask the following question:

Can you recommend a 32ins general allrounder? I need good picture quality and a screen that does not give a juddery football. I can spend up to £550.

Great question!

If you wanted to spend right up to your budget, £550 will get you a very nice 32″ TV. For example, this Panasonic TX32LZD80, rated 9.1 out of 10 on Reevoo.

However, you can get a very solid 32″ TV for considerably less, like this Samsung LE32A436T, also rated 9.1/10.

It does get a lower rating for image quality, but ought to be fine for watching sport.

What do you think is the best 32″ TV? Is it worth spending £550 or can you get a good telly for less?

If you’ve got any questions you want answered about anything to do with Home Entertainment, leave a comment below.