Flat Screen Telly...recommendations?

[woodbloke]

Now that I've started to redecorate the lounge, SWIMBO has indicated from afar :roll: that a flat screen telly might be just the thing, but which one...HD, plasma, LCD :? What's worth considering or having a look at? - Rob

 

[gidon]

Rob
Depends size you want. I went for 32" which I find plenty big enough. The best reviewed one 6 months ago was the Panasonic TX32LXD70. I'm very pleased with it. I wouldn't get too caught up with LCD vs plasma - both have pros and cons (at 32" plasma wasn't really an option plus uses less energy so please my wife) - just decide on size you want and look at some reviews - lots available to download online.
Cheers
Gidon

 

[woodbloke]

Gidon - should have stated size, sorry. Lounge is not huge and I would intend to put the new telly into the fireplace (as it's not used) and run the cabling to it as I decorate. 32" would be more than adequate I think, with a viewing distance of maybe 10' max (lounge shape is rectangular) - Rob

 

[Paul Chapman]

I would intend to put the new telly into the fireplace

Good thinking, Rob - that way, if the programmes get much worse you can set fire to the bloody thing :lol:

Cheers :wink:

Paul

 

[woodbloke]

Paul Chapman wrote:

Good thinking, Rob - that way, if the programmes get much worse you can set fire to the bloody thing

:lol: :lol: :lol: ...as I said on the poll, no soaps, sport or reality so don't tend to watch much but I've had instructions from distant climes :roll: :wink:
Question tho'...do you have to have Sky (not that I want it) to look at HD telly or will there be HD stuff available through the Beeb soon...says Rob, who still calls a radio 'the wireless' - Rob

 

[Woody Alan]

but which one...HD, plasma, LCD

If your maximum size is 32" then it won't be plasma as the smallest plasma is the 37" panasonic. I don't think any other manufacturer goes smaller than 42".
So that puts you in LCD territory which new models are virtually all HD. Stick with the main brands Panasonic Sony Toshiba etc Get your best price from soemwhere like empire direct and get John Lewis to pricematch, that 5 year guarantee and customer service cannot be beaten. My colleagues Toshiba just went "phut", complete mainboard required not a cheap repair (EDIT I think he said about £300 which must have been getting close to a replacement TV 20") just over 18 months old. Sorted out with no fuss. Switched mode power supplies are used (I think) and these do have a tendancy to fail the same as on PC's.

Alan

 

[wizer]

In the fireplace or above it? I hate it when people mount the TV above the fireplace. Who wants to look up at the TV?

I'm a massive fan of Toshiba TV's. I have had them since I was in my late teens. The current is a 42" HD Plasma. I love it. The picture quality is 2nd to none.

Our other flatscreen TV is A 22" Samsung and it is diabolical, picture quality is terrible.... but, it was free so I shouldn't complain.

 

[gidon]

You can get limited HD on Sky and cable. The earliest for HD on freeview is 2009 I've read.
That's the trouble - if you're watching standard def TV these flat screen HD ready TVs have to upscale your picture and on some TVs that looks awful!
Cheers
Gidon

 

[woodbloke]

In the fireplace or above it? I hate it when people mount the TV above the fireplace. Who wants to look up at the TV?

I'm a massive fan of Toshiba TV's. I have had them since I was in my late teens. The current is a 42" HD Plasma. I love it. The picture quality is 2nd to none.

Our other flatscreen TV is A 22" Samsung and it is diabolical, picture quality is terrible.... but, it was free so I shouldn't complain.

Telly would be on a stand of some sort (could I make one :lol: ) so that the screen is roughly at eye level - Rob

 

[mr]

but which one...HD, plasma, LCD

If your maximum size is 32" then it won't be plasma as the smallest plasma is the 37" panasonic. I don't think any other manufacturer goes smaller than 42".

Sony and LG both do a 32 in plasma, the Sony PFM-32C1 and LG 32PC5RV which may not be available yet though I think it was due iut in November of 07

Cheers Mike

 

[woodbloke]

Mike - what's the advantage of plasma vs LCD, if any?
BTW, 15 mins ago I had a nice brick fireplace with a marble thingie/slab on the floor in front of it...now I haven't, a 3' crow bar is a wonderful thing :lol: - Rob

 

[mr]

Plasmas generally have better contrast ratios than LCD (blacker blacks etc), though LCD s have increased brightness in daylight conditions due to less reflective screens though in dark conditions plasmas are brighter. plasmas tend to have more accurate colours, plasmas tend to have better motion tracking and don't exhibit the lag you sometimes see on LCDs. LCD s run cooler. Plasmas may burn - ie images left static for a long time may burn into the screen. This isnt such an issue as it once was though still a worry. THen again it's rare to have a static image on a domestic TV for that long (we're talking hours rather than minutes) Plasmas generally have a wider viewing angle than LCD s though again in recent times this should be less of an issue. Plasma screens are thought to have a shorter life span than LCD screens, I have heard talk of 60000 hours being the life span of a plasma before the screen dims. (Just under 7 years of continuous -24 hours a day- use by my reckoning) .

These days its a matter of personal pref really particularly in a domestic setting. There is a quite in depth comparative review of one technology against the other here
http://www.practical-home-theater-guide.com/plasma-vs-lcd-TV.html

Have to say though that nothing beats a ig CRT projector for image quality though

Cheers Mike

 

[Woody Alan]

Sony and LG both do a 32 in plasma, the Sony PFM-32C1 and LG 32PC5RV which may not be available yet though I think it was due iut in November of 07

The Sony is an old discontinued model as are Hitachis and Fujitsus smaller plasmas. Sony have no commitment to plasma at all and the the LG is not on the retail market in the UK as the due date you quote is for Brazil as their launchpad.

Alan.

 

[Argee]

I've always had Sony TVs because I like the hard and sharp pictures they deliver. I've been through CRTs. Plasmas and now I've got a couple of LCDs. I'd go for an LCD with at least 2 HDMI sockets (Sky + DVD), preferably 3 for a bit of future-proofing.

I've dealt with RGB Direct (Ilford) for the last four purchases and they've been brilliant. Here's one example, viewing angle is over 170 degrees and the sound quality is outstanding given the limitations of TV speakers. There are plenty more brands and prices on their site. No connection with RGB Direct.

Ray.

 

[misterfish]

We bought a new TV a few months ago. I'm one of those people that always does a lot of research before a purchase like this and after scouring the web and visiting the local shops to actually look at and listen to the sets narrowed the choice to Sony and Panasonic. Eventually we went for the Panasonic TX32LXD700 (like Gidon's choice but with 'better' audio) and have had no regrets. Everybody that has seen it has commented on how good the picture is.

LCD TVs are lighter in weight and cooler in running and do not suffer from screen burn that some plasma users complain about. Screen burn is not a problem for standard usage, but if you play computer games (such as car driving/racing) where part of the screen is static then (according to a couple of the sales people we spoke to) it can be a problem.

Also we finally chose Panasonic over Sony as they have a better reputation for dealing with screens that have dead or stuck pixels. I was also impressed with their customer service as we had a phone call from them after 6 weeks to see if we were happy with our purchase and to emphasise that if we had any problems or wanted any guidance or advice to contact their customer service helpline. When I commented that it was surprising to receive this after sales service the bloke on the other end of the line laughed and said that it has been the only phone based job he'd done where all of the call recipients were pleasant and pleased to be contacted.

Realistically the best advice is to spend a few hours going around and looking at the displays in the various showrooms and make your decision based on what looks good to you, but do bear in mind that some places make little effort to set up and display their offerings well.

I would have no qualms in recommending the Panasonic and would go and buy another today should the need arise.

The only 'disappointment' I had was that once I'd decided what I wanted to buy I contacted the local Panasonic shop (I prefer to buy local) to ask about prices for the TV and a matching Panasonic hard disk/DVD recorder. When I asked him could we do a deal (I hadn't mentioned any prices at that time) he just came back very tersely and said that he couldn't match internet prices (not what I'd asked) and it would be at the list price with extended 5 year warranty at extra cost. I eventually ordered the equipment from HiFi Confidential on a Saturday afternoon. They apologised that I couldn't collect it straight away (in the centre of London) but could collect it on Monday or they would ship it free of charge. As I'm not near London I chose the latter and it was with me at 8:30 on Tuesday morning. They also rang me back on the Saturday afternoon to ask if I wanted the DVD to be multiregion. They then rang a few days after delivery to see if I was happy with my purchase.

Misterfish

 

[woodbloke]

I've been looking at the Panasonic as Gidon recommended and also at the '700' version and trying to work out what the difference is...now I know,so many thanks. I've also been trying to look for a Panasonic deal with a DVD recorder with Hard Drive but to date haven't found anything...lots of deals for Sony stuff on Argee's site. I'll certainly be going round the town to have a look in the 'leccy sheds to see what's good - Rob

 

[RogerM]

Rob - I've been very pleased with my Panasonic 32" LCD TV and DVD with HDD. However, for our second TV my wife bought me a Logik LPV 2250 which is absolutely brilliant. Very intuitive to use, the 160GB HDD gives about 140 hours of recording (now comes with 250 gb hdd as standard). Whilst the Panasonic dvd and hdd is very good, if I was starting again I'd have a stand alone DVD and then use the Logik pvr for all my recording needs.

 

[woodbloke]

I've had a look at the Panasonic TV and it's the same price on the net at Curry's and Comet. Nipped into Waitrose today and it's the same price (£749) plus a 5 year free guarantee...not too bad - Rob

 

[mr]

it's the same price (£749)

eek! Is watching telly worth that sort of cash ? I spent that on my last tv about 5 years ago but I have to say I doubt I'll be replacing it when it goes to telly heaven.

Cheers Mike

 

[woodbloke]

it's the same price (£749)

eek! Is watching telly worth that sort of cash ? I spent that on my last tv about 5 years ago but I have to say I doubt I'll be replacing it when it goes to telly heaven.

Cheers Mike

...agree Mike, but what your'e forgetting is that I've had insructions from afar :wink: :roll: - Rob