Decide what to buy | the Reevoo.com blog, featuring news on TVs, cameras, laptops, mp3 players & other gadgets, shopping tips and deals, reviews and more

Most newer models of Full HD TVs (and some models that call themselves HD Ready) have 1080p resolution, but there are still some 1080i models around and still, it seems, quite a bit of confusion between the two resolutions.  So what’s the difference between 1080p and 1080i?

The short answer is that 1080p gives a higher quality picture, while 1080i can suffer from problems with blurry motion.  The full explanation is a little more complicated. (more…)

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.

Here at Reevoo we keep an eye on what’s happening in market so we can make sure we’re helping you make the right decisions when you’re buying something. Here’s what’s crossed my desk in the past month or so:

* 3D TV - Manufacturers and broadcasters seem to be serious about pursuing 3D TV technology in the next few years. Panasonic, Philips, and LG all have prototype consumer 3DTVs, while Sky have hinted at launching a sports-only 3DTV service in the next few months. Panasonic and Sky’s version would require special spectacles, but the Philips and LG versions are goggle free.

Here’s a sample of the Philips 3DTV - of course it won’t look 3D on your monitor!

* New iPod Shuffle - Apple suprised us on Wednesday with the launch of a new iPod Shuffle. The Shuffle claims to be the world’s smallest MP3 Player, and the first one that speaks. Critics have noted that it’s now even harder to replace Apple’s notoriously bad headphones, as Apple have moved all the controls to a bud on the headphones. The speech effect allows you to select a playlist after hearing it read out to you by a computerised voice. It is a potentially nice trick, but it remains to be seen if it can make up for the Shuffle’s lack of a screen. Apple iPod reviews.

* Green entertainment - MEPs are voting this month on whether to extend energy ratings like those found on white goods to all consumer electronics products in the EU. This would effectively ban some energy guzzling products, potentially including plasma televisions.

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 Sony’s naming conventions.

Our example product is the Sony Bravia KDL-32V4000.

Sony gives the KDL letters to all its LCD TVs. Sony makes no plasma TVs, and makes one cutting-edge OLED TV, the XEL-1.

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

The next letters indicate the series. Sony has a large number of different series. I’ve collected all the current series below, along with descriptions about each series series from Sony and the range of screen sizes the series is available in.

The final numbers refer to smaller variations within a series - so do check the detailed specifications!

You can browse Sony TVs on Reevoo.

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.

We?ve been looking into design here at Reevoo. Good product design is becoming more and more important and clever and innovative designs are what consumers look for to save time and make their lives a little easier.

So we looked into which brands were coming up with the best designs. When a shopper buys something from one of Reevoo?s 55 retail partners, they are sent an email asking them to rate it. One of the categories they rate is the design of the product.

Looking at 22,000 products, with over 15 reviews, we took these design scores and ranked all of the products in terms of their score for design ? the product with the highest score at the top.

What we found was pretty impressive for one brand in particular. In the top 100 products for design, a whopping 51 of them are from Samsung! It?s a real result for the brand that has put a strong focus on design in recent years.

LG in second place and Sony and Apple in joint third made up the top 3.

If you?re a regular reader of Decide What to Buy, I?m sure you can guess at which product Numatic had in the top 100? Hetty! She?s had a stonking 2008, already topping the best vacuum cleaner list back in June and in March.

But we wanted to look deeper into the data so we split the products up into categories. We looked at Home Entertainment, Mobile Phones, White Goods, Computing and Home and DIY in more detail to see which brand?s products performed the best for design in each category.

And here are the results:

Home Entertainment:
1. Toshiba 46XF355D (television)
2. Samsung LE37A656 (television)
3. Toshiba 40XF355D (television)
4. Samsung LE37A436T (television)
5. Samsung YP-K3JAB 4GB (MP3 player)
6. Samsung YP-P2JCB 8GB (MP3 player)
7. LG 32LG5010 (television)
8. Sony Bravia KDL32W4000U (television)
9. Pioneer Kuro PDP5080XD (television)
10. Samsung PS50Q97HD (television)

Mobile Phones:
1. Samsung F480 Tocco
2. Apple iPhone 8/16GB
3. Nokia 8600
4. Motorola PEBL U6
5. Samsung P520 Armani
6. Motorola W375
7. Sony Ericsson W890i
8. Sony Ericsson T650i
9. Motorola ROKR U9
10. Nokia 7500

White Goods:
1. Bosch KTR18P20GB (fridge)
2. Miele GT 316 ES (freezer)
3. AEG-Electrolux Santo 75348KG (fridge-freezer)
4. Baumatic BF207SLM (fridge-freezer)
5. Kenwood GT/AL17 (microwave)
6. Samsung RSA1DHMH (fridge-freezer)
7. Daewoo ERF336MB (fridge-freezer)
8. Samsung RSH1DTMH (fridge-freezer)
9. Miele KFN 8762 SDed (fridge-freezer)
10. Samsung RSH1DBBP (fridge-freezer)

Computing:
1. Apple MacBook MB403
2. SONY Vaio VGN CR31Z
3. HP DV9646EM RECON
4. ACER M1100
5. Dell Inspiron 1525
6. HP DV9702EA
7. Compaq Presario V6642EM
8. HP V6630EM
9. HP DV9705
10. Toshiba Equium P200-1ED

Home & DIY:
1. Numatic Hetty (vacuum cleaner)
2. Neff B1442NO (oven)
3. Neff B1442S0 (oven)
4. Neff U1322N1GB (oven)
5. Electrolux Insight EKT6045X (oven)
6. Bosch HBN1315 (oven)
7. Prestige 47433 (steam cooker)
8. Bosch HBN131251 (oven)
9. Aeg B41014 (oven)
10. Neff B1422 (oven)

More treats from shoppers…

"lots of fun for everyone (well maybe not the neighbours!)" Karaoke Duets DVD

"the gary neville of tvs" LG 32LC46

"the touch screen can be quiet confusing after having a drink" LG KF600

"I think my grandson may have used it as a hammer. Perhaps it should have stood up to that kind of treatment" Motorola RAZR V3

"Shooting old ladies in the head does become tiresome" Grand Theft Auto IV XBOX 360

It’s official. Women may like to spend money on expensive handbags and shoes but when it comes to the living room, boys shell out the most cash.

According to the latest research from Reevoo, kitting out a bachelor pad with huge plasma TVs, top of the range laptops, games consoles, high-end stereos and other gadgets puts the bill up to £4,678.97.

Reevoo looked at the highest rated products with over 30 reviews to compile the research. According to shoppers, the best wide screen plasma HD ready TV is the Panasonic TH50PZ70B which can be nicely accompanied by the top DVD recorder, the Sony RDR-HX510. Just these two cost over £1,500.

Every man’s need and desire to put as little effort into living as possible has been accounted for. There’s the Proline TTR 65 P mini beer fridge which can be plugged in right next to your sofa so that cold beer is only a short stretch away, the Hewlett Packard Pavilion DV9605 laptop, so you can check up on your stocks and shares while you’re watching the footie and an Xbox 360 Elite for when you run out of DVDs.

Other items to complete the perfect bachelor pad include the Philips HD7810/60 coffee machine, the Blackberry Curve 8310, and the Miele G1222SC
dishwasher, so that you don’t have to get involved in any of that mucky washing up.

So girls, next time you get an earful off him indoors, direct him to this handy bit of research before you head for the shops.

Here’s a full list for those who want to create the perfect pad:

Panasonic
TH50PZ70B 50 inch HD ready plasma screen TV £1,351.00

Xbox 360 Elite
games console £250.00

Panasonic FZ50 digital
camera £306.00

Sony DCR-SR 32E handycam
camcorder with 30GB hard drive £259.00

Blackberry Curve
8310 mobile phone £274.99

Denon D-m 35 DAB hi-fi
mini system £150.00

Apple iPod touch 16GB black
£229.00

Wharfedale
Diamond 9.1 bookshelf speakers £129.00

Hewlett Packard Pavilion
DV9605 laptop £699.99

Pure Talksport DAB
radio £40.00

Proline TTR 65 P mini
fridge £69.99

Philips HD7810/60
Coffee Machine £50

Miele G1222SC
dishwasher £493.00

Philips HQ8150 electric
shaver £78.00

Sony RDR-HX510 DVD
Recorder £299.00

It’s a sad day for fans of Pioneer’s award-winning Kuro range of plasma screens, as the company finally confirmed today that they will stop making plasma panels in-house, due to the inability to compete profitably with larger manufacturers.

Pioneer will continue to produce televisions, selling plasma and LCD sets containing screens made by other manufacturers (probably Panasonic and Sharp respectively). And for fans of Pioneer’s existing range, all is not quite lost, since the company is exploring having some of the technologies from the Kuro screens included in the 3rd party panels.

Still, if a Kuro screen is top of your wishlist, now is the time to get one, as Pioneer will discontinue the range after 2008.

AV Zombie is reporting that Pioneer are poised to stop making plasma screens. We previously posted the Asahi newspapers’ speculation about this, but a Pioneer statement put the matter to bed for a while:

"On February 28, 2008 the Asahi newspaper carried an article regarding Pioneer’s plasma display business.

"This article was not based on a Pioneer announcement or interviews
from the Asahi, but just on the basis of the journalist’s speculation.

"At the third quarter financial announcement on January 31,
2008, President Sudo announced that Pioneer is reviewing our display
business and preparing the mid-term business plan aiming to generate a
stable revenue for the business. The review is now underway, and no
details have been decided as yet. We will announce the details as soon
as they have been confirmed." (source: What HiFi)

The results of that review are due to be announced on Friday, but leaks are already circulating round the web that Pioneer plan to pull the plug on their Kuro screens, and buy plasma panels in from Matsushita Electric Industrial Co, the makers of Panasonic televisions. Other sources are indicating that Pioneer will also start selling LCD televisions with panels sourced from Sharp.

It looks like we’ll have to wait until tomorrow for the full details, but if you want a Kuro (and they are good), you may need to get one sooner rather than later.