TV experts - new purchase

[172boost]

As soon as Christmas is over I shall be buying a new TV but I'd like a bit of advice before I hit the sales.
It either has to be a 37" or a 40" for starters, our living room is too small for anything bigger as I currently have a 40" in there and it's massive.
I'm not sure on budget yet but would guess around the £500 mark but could stretch to more if needed.

What do I need to look out for with regards to the following:
Aspect ratio
LCD or Plasma
Hz
Anything else? Will be used alot for gaming.

Quite like the look of LG and Samsung sets, we already have a 19" Samsung in the bedroom which is nice.

 

[McBunny]

aspect ration there is only one really 16:9 (you cant afford the 21:9 and you wouldnt want a 4:3 square one would you )

lcd plasma it doesnt matter
hz do you watch football or fast moving sports if so 100hz or more if you really care

24p is good decent pc support would also be good freesat hd

basically if you like the picture buy it

 

[Jason_E]

LG have some nice sets! Also try Panasonic or Toshiba. Still not convinced by the low end samsung units mind you! Rest is pretty much as McBunny has said

 

[172boost]

aspect ration there is only one really 16:9 (you cant afford the 21:9 and you wouldnt want a 4:3 square one would you )

lcd plasma it doesnt matter
hz do you watch football or fast moving sports if so 100hz or more if you really care

24p is good decent pc support would also be good freesat hd

basically if you like the picture buy it

Sorry I meant contrast ratio not aspect! lol
Watch alot of football/sport on the TV and also alot of online gaming PS3.
So 24p over 1080p?

 

[McBunny]

no 24p means it will do 24 frames per sec properly for movie content

dont worry about contrast ratio either its all bolox the manufacturer makes up to sell teh bloody things


i love my lg lcd 37lg6000 best bet is go to a decent tv shop and look at them all playa bluray take your ps3 in and play games on it play with the settings


dont just look at it playing teh looped feed in teh shop they stick teh contrast and everything right up looks stunning but you would never watch it like that

 

[172boost]

no 24p means it will do 24 frames per sec properly for movie content

dont worry about contrast ratio either its all bolox the manufacturer makes up to sell teh bloody things


i love my lg lcd 37lg6000 best bet is go to a decent tv shop and look at them all playa bluray take your ps3 in and play games on it play with the settings


dont just look at it playing teh looped feed in teh shop they stick teh contrast and everything right up looks stunning but you would never watch it like that

Thanks for the advice, appreciate it.

 

[McBunny]

i wish i could type 'the' properly lol

 

[Nigel]

If you can find a local AV store rather than Currys or Dixons, then you'll get a much better feel for what the screen is actually like. Rather than the poor setups on the superstore versions.

 

[*Badger*]

Considering the new LED? Ultra Slim, Ultra expensive too mind!

I've currently got an LCD, Sony Bravia KDL40W4500 and its a great TV, was "What HiFi" TV of the year 2008

 

[McBunny]

he said £500 edge lit led is well above that


and what hifi tv of the year would make me buy a different tv

 

[172boost]

If you can find a local AV store rather than Currys or Dixons, then you'll get a much better feel for what the screen is actually like. Rather than the poor setups on the superstore versions.

Would you buy from a local rather than a superstore Nigel? Just thinking about prices here, would expect them to be cheaper in the superstores.

 

[McBunny]

dont buy it from either test them in store then buy online

lovely tv
http://www.lge.com/uk/tv-audio-video/televisions/LG-led-tv-42SL9000.jsp

http://www.dixons.co.uk/martprd/store/dix_page.jsp?page=Product&source_id=aw&sku=724582&camp_id=ppc_tvcamp__42SL9500_E&gclid=CNGPjZCz3Z4CFUYA4wode3mEIA&source_id=aw

 

[Gally]

Get a big LG for that price.

I would rather 42" lg than a 32" sony all imo.

 

[McBunny]

lg are the second largest tv manufacturer in the world

 

[cli0 172]

If you see something you like ,have a look on websites on christmas day ,sounds silly but a few big online retailers were doing some very good discounts exclusive between certain times last year .

Managed to pick up a 42" Panasonic plasma for £430 from Dixons .

 

[Nigel]

Usually I'd actually buy from where ever is cheapest. But the place I visited in Bolton spent about 5 hours setting up different combinations of amps, speakers and screens that I ended up buying from them. Best thing was they didn't try and bullshit me, they let the screen quality do the talking.

 

[McBunny]

Usually I'd actually buy from where ever is cheapest. But the place I visited in Bolton spent about 5 hours setting up different combinations of amps, speakers and screens that I ended up buying from them. Best thing was they didn't try and bulls**t me, they let the screen quality do the talking.

exactly what im talking about places like that are worth their weight in gold tbh

 

[Gally]

I would love to go to somewhere like that but aren't they hard to find?

Just google local tv specialists?

 

[172boost]

I think a little visit to my local AV world is in order, then a bit of online shopping over Christmas....

 

[McBunny]

any questions just pm me will try to help best i can

 

[Nigel]

I went into the AV place with a short list based on what I'd read online and looking in Currys, ended up with a completely different setup. Lol.

I spent ages researching it all, wish I'd just visited a specialist to start with.

 

[172boost]

Cheers guys.

 

[cat171]

Sorry to chip in here, any thought on a Samsung LE40B530 in 40" ? I've read mixed reviews so far, some say 2/5 others 4/5 some say it's too reflective, but ok at night with the curtains drawn. Other really rate it.

Richer Sounds are doing it for £450 - I can't really get near to that elsewhere (looked online etc) It's £495 with a five year warranty.

Also, what about a Sony or a Panasonic ?? Which of those is either 37" or 40" are decent ? It's for a few movies & sky tv.

 

[McBunny]

you cant just say buy a sony or by a panasonic it doesnt work like that unfortunately they all do so many sets of varying spec and ages

 

[Munson]

And often the panel isn't made by the manufacturer of the set. Sometimes different tellys use the same panel, with jut the video processing being different, and even then there's probably a lot of overlap of chipsets etc.

 

[Louism]

I got a 40" 100hz sony bravia recently from www.digitaldirect.com took ages to come but was cheaper then sony could do by about £150 and it came with an extra years warranty. They have a good explanation for what all the info means on there like plasma vs lcd etc Hz blah blah.

 

[Munson]

I'm considering upgrading my Panasonic for one of the 55" LED backlit Samsungs. Need to find out if they're actually any good though.

 

[McBunny]

other companies do led back-lit screens

 

[Steve]

lg are the second largest tv manufacturer in the world

Toyota are the biggest car manufacturer in the world, but i still would not buy one


Panny Plasmas still rule, for quality/value.

If you have a small room do not go overkill on size.

Huge room & deep pockets 60+

 

[philmots]

I'm considering upgrading my Panasonic for one of the 55" LED backlit Samsungs. Need to find out if they're actually any good though.

I want the 40" version... Apparently they're no good but i reckon to me the screen will look excellent and they look immense. sold.

 

[Munson]

TBH the small room thing doesn't bother me. For HD content, IMO you can get away with a huge panel in a small room. SD will look s**t, but then SD sucks anyway.

 

[Revels]

We've got a 40" LED Samsung being delivered tomorrow.

Will report back on how it looks..

 

[Munson]

I'm distraught that Pioneer stopped making their Kuro range

 

[Tigger]

Anyone reccomend a good LG 32" LCD?
Will use it mostly for movies & maybe some games, and TV of course

 

[dk]

the samsung LED tv's really do have an amazing pic, thinking my next one might be one.

 

[Gally]

I'm distraught that Pioneer stopped making their Kuro range

Deep pockets buying tho!

 

[cat171]

Revels, can you tell me the model number of the Samsung you are getting ? It's a long shot, but it might be the same as what i'm looking at.

you cant just say buy a sony or by a panasonic it doesnt work like that unfortunately they all do so many sets of varying spec and ages

I know what you mean, mine field out there !

The Sony Bravia is a, KDL40S5500 or a KDL40V5500, or the same, but a KDL40W5500. Same looking TV, but different specs.

As for Panasonic, i'll have to get the model numbers.

 

[Revels]

I think it's this one..

http://www.dixons.co.uk/martprd/sto...null&sm=null&tm=null&sku=485250&category_oid=

 

[cat171]

Cheers, yeah I won't be spending that sort of cash

 

[cat171]

I got a 40" 100hz sony bravia recently from www.digitaldirect.com took ages to come but was cheaper then sony could do by about £150 and it came with an extra years warranty. They have a good explanation for what all the info means on there like plasma vs lcd etc Hz blah blah.

It's .co.uk dude, they don't do Samsungs