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anyone else got 42" lcd philips hd ready
- Thread starter simonwwfc
- Start date
Steve
ClioSport Club Member
ST3 8.5
Shiny red R32
Here's some Q & As from online Which?
Are LCD and Plasma TVs as reliable as conventional ones?
These types of TV are too new for us to have information about their long-term reliability. Their durability is also a bit of an unknown quantity.
Which uses more power – LCD or Plasma?
On average Plasma TVs use more than twice the power of 32-inch LCD screens and 2.5 times as much as conventional 32-inch widescreens. Admittedly part of that reason is their larger size (Plasma TVs tend to be 42-inches) but even similar sized LCD screens use less power than 42-inch Plasma sets.
Can I hang my LCD or plasma TV on the wall?
Most LCD and plasma TVs can be mounted on walls. However, the vast majority do not come supplied with the wall mounting kits required. These have to be bought separately and (depending on the size of your TV) can cost anything up to £300. Most TVs and kits match the VESA standard - a set of industry-wide measurements.
Do I need a set-top box to get digital TV?
No. You could buy an integrated digital TV (IDTV) with a built-in digital tuner to receive Freeview (digital channels through your normal aerial). Find out more on the different ways to receive digital TV and for more on set-top boxes.
Does the quality of my Scart cables matter?
Cable quality can influence sound and picture quality. Poor quality Scart cables are more prone to interference from other devices and atmospherics. But you don’t have to pay the earth –a tenner should do, rather than opting for the cheapest at three or four quid. A good rule of thumb – the thicker the cable the better - this usually means it boasts more ‘screening’ from interference, and look for gold plated connectors. Occasionally plug and unplug the cables in your TV. This helps to remove the build-up of oxides, which affect how well signals are transmitted.
What is screen burn and does it affect new flat panel TVs?
Screen burn is where a ghost image of a channel logo is left on the screen once the set has been turned off or onto another channel. The problem doesn’t affect LCD TVs but plasma and old fashioned CRT TVs are susceptible. However, broadcasters have toned down the brightness of their logos and the latest plasma TVs boast screen cleaning technologies to combat the problem. In our tests, images burnt on to the screen after a day, disappeared after normal TV viewing. After leaving a channel logo on screen for a week only one plasma TV (out of six tested) suffered any permanent screen-burn.
I’ve heard new technology TVs have a problem with the sound and pictures matching up. Is this true?
We check for this and have not found the problem with the sets we’ve tested. Internal speaker output is properly aligned with the pictures on screen. We’ve occasionally found some discrepancy when linking up to external loudspeakers in the laboratory, but this wouldn’t be apparent in everyday use.
What is high definition TV?
HDTV is much sharper and more detailed than regular TV. However, it’s not cheap or broadcast for free. To get it you have to subscribe to expensive HD packages from either Sky Digital or Virgin Media (previously NTL/Telewest).
Are there different types of high definition signal?
High definition TV and comes in three main types – 720p, 1080i and 1080p - depending on the number of horizontal lines that make up the picture and the way they are broadcast (a standard TV picture is made up of 576 lines). All HD-ready TVs can display either 720p or 1080i - in reality there’s not much visible difference between the two and most HDTV broadcasts are transmitted in 1080i.
A 1080i picture is made up of 1080 lines. The ‘i’ bit means the lines are not scanned one after another. Instead they are ‘interlaced’, meaning all even numbered lines are scanned first and then all odd numbers. The two combine to make a picture.
A 1080p image is made up of 1080 lines scanned one after another and pictures are even sharper and more detailed, but this improvement is quite subtle. This system isn't used by broadcasters but is used by the new generation of HD DVD players, but these players also output 1080i if required.
What's the difference between HD-ready and Full HD or 1080HD?
The 'HD-ready' logo ensures your TV has the minimum screen resolution (1280x720) and digital sockets (either HDMI or DVI) necessary to receive and display a 720p or 1080i high definition signal.
Labels like Full HD or 1080HD mean the TV has a high screen resolution of 1080 lines (1920x1080). In theory this should be best for watching 1080i pictures (such as those from SKY HD) but in practice there’s more to a good picture than just screen resolution. A lot depends on the TV’s digital processing software.
Such logos can also mean the TV can process a 1080p signal. However, unlike HD-ready there is no official labelling scheme and the meanings of the new logos differ between manufacturers.
Are LCD and Plasma TVs as reliable as conventional ones?
These types of TV are too new for us to have information about their long-term reliability. Their durability is also a bit of an unknown quantity.
Which uses more power – LCD or Plasma?
On average Plasma TVs use more than twice the power of 32-inch LCD screens and 2.5 times as much as conventional 32-inch widescreens. Admittedly part of that reason is their larger size (Plasma TVs tend to be 42-inches) but even similar sized LCD screens use less power than 42-inch Plasma sets.
Can I hang my LCD or plasma TV on the wall?
Most LCD and plasma TVs can be mounted on walls. However, the vast majority do not come supplied with the wall mounting kits required. These have to be bought separately and (depending on the size of your TV) can cost anything up to £300. Most TVs and kits match the VESA standard - a set of industry-wide measurements.
Do I need a set-top box to get digital TV?
No. You could buy an integrated digital TV (IDTV) with a built-in digital tuner to receive Freeview (digital channels through your normal aerial). Find out more on the different ways to receive digital TV and for more on set-top boxes.
Does the quality of my Scart cables matter?
Cable quality can influence sound and picture quality. Poor quality Scart cables are more prone to interference from other devices and atmospherics. But you don’t have to pay the earth –a tenner should do, rather than opting for the cheapest at three or four quid. A good rule of thumb – the thicker the cable the better - this usually means it boasts more ‘screening’ from interference, and look for gold plated connectors. Occasionally plug and unplug the cables in your TV. This helps to remove the build-up of oxides, which affect how well signals are transmitted.
What is screen burn and does it affect new flat panel TVs?
Screen burn is where a ghost image of a channel logo is left on the screen once the set has been turned off or onto another channel. The problem doesn’t affect LCD TVs but plasma and old fashioned CRT TVs are susceptible. However, broadcasters have toned down the brightness of their logos and the latest plasma TVs boast screen cleaning technologies to combat the problem. In our tests, images burnt on to the screen after a day, disappeared after normal TV viewing. After leaving a channel logo on screen for a week only one plasma TV (out of six tested) suffered any permanent screen-burn.
I’ve heard new technology TVs have a problem with the sound and pictures matching up. Is this true?
We check for this and have not found the problem with the sets we’ve tested. Internal speaker output is properly aligned with the pictures on screen. We’ve occasionally found some discrepancy when linking up to external loudspeakers in the laboratory, but this wouldn’t be apparent in everyday use.
What is high definition TV?
HDTV is much sharper and more detailed than regular TV. However, it’s not cheap or broadcast for free. To get it you have to subscribe to expensive HD packages from either Sky Digital or Virgin Media (previously NTL/Telewest).
Are there different types of high definition signal?
High definition TV and comes in three main types – 720p, 1080i and 1080p - depending on the number of horizontal lines that make up the picture and the way they are broadcast (a standard TV picture is made up of 576 lines). All HD-ready TVs can display either 720p or 1080i - in reality there’s not much visible difference between the two and most HDTV broadcasts are transmitted in 1080i.
A 1080i picture is made up of 1080 lines. The ‘i’ bit means the lines are not scanned one after another. Instead they are ‘interlaced’, meaning all even numbered lines are scanned first and then all odd numbers. The two combine to make a picture.
A 1080p image is made up of 1080 lines scanned one after another and pictures are even sharper and more detailed, but this improvement is quite subtle. This system isn't used by broadcasters but is used by the new generation of HD DVD players, but these players also output 1080i if required.
What's the difference between HD-ready and Full HD or 1080HD?
The 'HD-ready' logo ensures your TV has the minimum screen resolution (1280x720) and digital sockets (either HDMI or DVI) necessary to receive and display a 720p or 1080i high definition signal.
Labels like Full HD or 1080HD mean the TV has a high screen resolution of 1080 lines (1920x1080). In theory this should be best for watching 1080i pictures (such as those from SKY HD) but in practice there’s more to a good picture than just screen resolution. A lot depends on the TV’s digital processing software.
Such logos can also mean the TV can process a 1080p signal. However, unlike HD-ready there is no official labelling scheme and the meanings of the new logos differ between manufacturers.
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