Televisions

[Mel B]

We need to get a new TV for home as ours is on the blink. We have been looking at LCD 32" but have also today seen LED 32" ones too.

 

There's quite a bit of difference price wise between them so can anyone tell me if LED TVs worth the extra dosh?

 

As we tend to keep our stuff for quite a while I don't want to go out and buy something that's gonna be horrible to watch.

 

Ta muchly!

:-D

[colin]

Ya pays ya money, ya take ya choise!

Just to confuse matters even more there are two types of LED tv's, but neither are :-S , and now we have 3d ready tv's!

I have not long had a Panasonic LED tv, the LED part is the back lighting, this supposedly gives deeper blacks.

Heres the deal that not many salesmen will tell you, LCD tv's esp. larger sizes can look worse the the old CRT tv's for 'standard' tv pictures (SD).

Where they come into there own is on High Def (HD), and to get the limited amount of free channels you need one with HD tuner(like my panny) or a sepperate box. To my mind the best way is to look at the picture and make your own mind up or buy a top end set like my Panny or say a Sony etc.

[thebishbus]

Hi Mel.The LED backlight ones will give a deeper contrast and therefore colour range, you need to compare them yourself. Walk past them L to R and R to L to see which one gives the best picture over the widest viewing angle. If you wanted to go slightly bigger, Panasonic do a 37" plasma that gives a very good picture ,and will have the widest viewing angle.

Brian B.

[Guest JudgeMental]

good advice re LED

 

Here is a great forum for all things entertainment :-D

 

http://www.avforums.com/

 

 

[Bulletguy]

Mel B - 2010-10-07 7:00 PM

 

We need to get a new TV for home as ours is on the blink. We have been looking at LCD 32" but have also today seen LED 32" ones too.

 

I replaced my ageing but still fully working sixteen year old 29" Toshiba earlier this year with a brand new flat screen. After seeing a friends LG television thought the screen resolution and colour looked perfectly fine, so decided to go for an LG myself.

 

Mine is an LCD type and to be honest I wouldn't be able to see the difference, apart from price, between LCD and LED.

 

But here is a tip; decide on make/model/size TV you want, price up at all electrical dealers.......then price it at Asda. I saved £100 on mine simply by doing just that as Asda were selling the identical model £100 cheaper than anywhere else.

 

[Bulletguy]

colin - 2010-10-07 7:30 PM

 

Heres the deal that not many salesmen will tell you, LCD tv's esp. larger sizes can look worse the the old CRT tv's for 'standard' tv pictures (SD).

Where they come into there own is on High Def (HD), and to get the limited amount of free channels you need one with HD tuner(like my panny) or a seperate box. To my mind the best way is to look at the picture and make your own mind up or buy a top end set like my Panny or say a Sony etc.

 

And here is the other deal that no salesmen will tell you......because they can't!

 

You need to have 100% perfect eyesight vision to actually SEE any difference between an HD picture or non-HD. Not many people can because their eyesight isn't perfect. I get HD on mine via satellite and have switched between HD and non-HD on the same programme. I can't see any NOTICEABLE difference.

 

Television technology has leapt forward no end now and where twenty or thirty years ago you WOULD see a marked difference between a cheaper brand TV against a more expensive.....today you won't.

 

My cousin has a 'top end' Sony Bravia. Picture is no worse than my 'cheaper' LG.....but certainly not better either!

 

You are right about 'the best way is to look at the picture and make your own mind up', but the days of buying a 'top end' set are well and truly over. People are no longer impressed by a badge....(most people!).

 

Forget what it says on the front of the television. Look at the picture!!

 

 

[Keithl]

And don't forget the sound!!!

 

We bought a Toshiba LCD set on the basis of the picture quality when viewed in a large store but what we totally forgot to check was the sound quality as the store was very noisy!

When we got it home and installed on a swivelling wall bracket the sound was absolutely atrocious to the point it gave me earache. We had to go out and buy a home cinema sound system to even be able to listen to it.

 

Other than that the picture quality is as good as when we saw it in the store.

 

Keith.

[colin]

Bulletguy - 2010-10-07 8:57 PM

 

 

And here is the other deal that no salesmen will tell you......because they can't!

 

You need to have 100% perfect eyesight vision to actually SEE any difference between an HD picture or non-HD. Not many people can because their eyesight isn't perfect. I get HD on mine via satellite and have switched between HD and non-HD on the same programme. I can't see any NOTICEABLE difference.

 

Television technology has leapt forward no end now and where twenty or thirty years ago you WOULD see a marked difference between a cheaper brand TV against a more expensive.....today you won't.

 

My cousin has a 'top end' Sony Bravia. Picture is no worse than my 'cheaper' LG.....but certainly not better either!

 

You are right about 'the best way is to look at the picture and make your own mind up', but the days of buying a 'top end' set are well and truly over. People are no longer impressed by a badge....(most people!).

 

Forget what it says on the front of the television. Look at the picture!!

 

 

I can't be bothered with wearing my glass's to watch tv and can easily see the differance between SD and HD pictures, and gf whose eyesight is worse than mine is very impressed even though she was against buying a large tv, but you have to be carefull not to confuse ITV upscaled HD pictures with the real thing as they aint.

There are other benifits to buying a Panny like mine, it has Freesat HD and Freeview HD, I have plugged in a HDD and can record direct from tv to disc and back again in HD and pause live tv, it links direct to WWW so I can watch youtube and various streamed tv, it has card readers to directly display phottos, it has USB to directly play video as well as photos from USB pens, it can recieve all european tv in SD and HD, it is suposedly going to be able to link direct to iPlayer soon. Of cause if these are of no interest to you then it's a waste of money

[howie]

Don't know how much room you've got Mel but i would go for something bigger than 32". Only space for a 37" in our lounge and would have had the biggest one going if possible. Agree with 'no top brands' these days and any well known make should do, though outlets such as Asda or Tesco would be my first choice as they usually offer not only a better price, but a no nonsense money back or new telly on anything still under warranty. Not sure on the merits of LED/LCD, but do know that many outlets 'enhance' a particular model they want to shift by slightly off tuning the tv's either side by altering the colour or contrast. Not a lot, but enough to catch your eye and buy the one they want to sell.

[Bulletguy]

Keithl - 2010-10-07 9:18 PM

 

And don't forget the sound!!!

 

Very true and something I forgot to mention.

 

The sound on my LG isn't particularly brilliant with the volume up high as the set gives a boom noise. But it's not anything to fuss about when watching ordinary programmes. Only time I do have it up high is on music concerts and then I just channel it through my hi-fi speakers. Problem solved!

 

[Bulletguy]

colin - 2010-10-07 9:20 PM

 

I can't be bothered with wearing my glass's to watch tv and can easily see the differance between SD and HD pictures, and gf whose eyesight is worse than mine is very impressed even though she was against buying a large tv, but you have to be carefull not to confuse ITV upscaled HD pictures with the real thing as they aint.

 

I'm supposed to wear glasses too Colin but even with them on I still can't see the difference. That said I am due an eye test! My mate has a full HD TV but regrets paying out the extra now as he also can't see any difference.

 

My DVD recorder has a card reader but to be perfectly honest i've only ever used the thing once. The DVD upscales, but my sat box gives full HD. I don't bother with it.....glasses on or off and I still cannot see anything to get excited about!

[Way2Go]

If you can't see the difference between HD and standard TV you either have very bad eyesight or it isn't set up correctly.

We have a Toshiba Regza RV635 37" Full HD LCD Television connected to a SKY HD box via a HDMI cable and the difference between an HD picture and a 'normal' TV picture is stunning.

No really, it's absolutely stunning and as big a jump as Mono v Dolby 5.1 surround sound or Black and White v Colour.

We watched four days of Ryder Cup golf last weekend and when it showed the putts you could see every blade of grass and even the individual marks that each player puts on their ball to identify it.

When you see a proper HD picture you recognise it immediately and is usually followed by a "whoooow look at that detail."  The picture is very high resolution and is crisp, clean and very sharp.

Mel, the Toshiba Regza gives a fabulous picture with rich vivid colours and a pure black.  It also has lots of tweaks available in the on-screen menu.

The only downside to this, and most flat TVs, is the fairly poor sound quality.  There just isn't room to get decend speakers installed because of the flat screen but it's OK for most watching.  But, if we're watching a film or Bluray movie we change to Dolby 5.1 surround sound and it's like being at the flix ;-)

W2G

[Way2Go]

Bulletguy - 2010-10-08 6:48 AM . . . . but my sat box gives full HD. I don't bother with it . . . glasses on or off and I still cannot see anything to get excited about!

If you connect your SKY HD box to your HD TV via an HDMI cable you WILL see an enormous difference, honest.  Just connect it up and choose the HDMI channel on your TV and you'll see that a £5 cable was all that was stopping you enjoying HD.

Nip out and get one this afternoon ready for a weekend's HD viewing 8-)

W2G

[AliB]

Forget above the specifications, go to good showroom and choose one that you think gives good clear images.

The minimum recommended screen size can be calculated as follows:

Viewing distance in feet divided by 3 will give the screen size in inches. You can go larger but in my opinion a larger size will dominate the room and make it look like a cinema.

The room should be illuminated with a daylight viewing bulb. Artist and design studios use these types of bulbs as they aid true colour reproduction. A small table lamp behind the TV with such a bulb is recommended.

You need to choose a TV that looks good to you in both HD and SD resolutions as not all programs are in HD. If you watching old repeats on the TV programs like Dad's Arm (who would miss these?) were recorded in quite low res.

It is a good idea to take a DVD of some of your favourite programs to the show room and ask them to play these. A showroom will tend to show the HD programs that perform well on their sets.

 

I would recommend going to Richer Sounds (there is a Hull branch) as they will take the time to demonstrate both the video and sound functions.

 

Finally as W2G states, all connections to DVRs, set-top boxes etc must be through HDMI cables. Forget about SCART cables, they are for low res systems.

[Mel B]

Flipping heck, anyone would think I was buying a motorhome!!!! 8-) ;-)

 

Seriously, thanks for all the info guys, I shall give it more thought and do some more investigations as has been suggested to try to narrow down to what we want/like/want to pay.

 

We currently have a 28" widescreen (CRT) - we did buy a £32" widescreen (CRT) originally from a car boot sale but it totally dominated the room so we flogged it (at a very nice profit!) and bought the 28" from the local classified ads, and found the size just right. Obviously without all the cabinet to accommodate we can probably go a bit bigger than 32" if we see something we like, but I think something as big as a 42" for example would be total overkill.

 

Someone at work has just bought a new plasma 42" TV, blue ray, surround sound, stand etc, etc, cost her £1600!!!!! 8-) The stand alone was £300!!! *-)

 

We were supposed to be going to the sea-side for the weekend but the weather here is so cold and dismal that we're not bothering ... I'll give you one guess what we'll probably be doing instead ..... :D

[PJay]

Mel

Temp on south coast to-day very warm 19 deg , they are promising even warmer sat/sun, . You could even see the new cruise ship Queen Elizabeth just arrived in Southampton

PJay

[Guest Tracker]

Any new TV will be an improvement Mel and the first thing you will notice is that they are all in colour now!

 

Let me throw some alternative points of view into the mix!

 

It seems to me that 'new' developments are happening all the time and many are designed to catch the must have the latest technology types rather than be genuine improvements in their own right.

 

A TV is not only about viewing but also about reliability and longevity and for us the reliable and well established LCD technology, with HD, with a long warranty and from a well regarded maker like Panasonic or Sony makes sense for many years to come.

 

Also take account of the sound quality because as you get older the ears tend to function less effectively!

[teflon2]

Hi mel getting back to your original query. LCD tvs use a discharge type ilumination to give the picture these run quite hot LED tvs use wait for it light emmiting diodes these are more efficient so cost less to run and also run cooler. As to HD verses SD do you realy need to see every blade of grass worse still the actors blackheads. Not being a tv person my wife chose our samsung because she liked the colour (red) I dont subscibe to any HD chanels and yet I can see the pores on the actors faces when I do watch. you pays your money and takes your choice. One last comment shop tvs are set up to show high contrast and nomaly are running on HD videos. John :-D

[Bulletguy]

Way2Go - 2010-10-08 1:33 PM

If you can't see the difference between HD and standard TV you either have very bad eyesight or it isn't set up correctlyIf you connect your SKY HD box to your HD TV via an HDMI cable you WILL see an enormous difference, honest.  Just connect it up and choose the HDMI channel on your TV and you'll see that a £5 cable was all that was stopping you enjoying HD.

Nip out and get one this afternoon ready for a weekend's HD viewing 8-)

W2G

I dont have Sky, I opted for Freesat and went for a Humax dual LNB box which came with HDMI cable and was professionally installed as my days of climbing up ladders are over! Installation ONLY is their business so I guess by now they know EXACTLY what they are doing (took him no more than half an hour including fitting the dish).Sorry but I still cannot see a MARKED difference between HD and non-HD! Yes it's clear, but so is the same channel on non-HD.The point i'm making is that due to huge advancements in screen technology over the years, what little difference there may be just isn't anything to get excited about.My eyesight may not be as perfect as a young teenager, but thats my opinion on HD vs non-HD and nothing will change it.

[Keithl]

Hi Bulletguy,

 

I've just run this past my son who is into watching movies from DVD and he says that he does not think Freesat is FULL HD. He believes it is only 720p and not the 1080p of full HD.

He suggests watching a HD movie through a Blu ray player to see the difference.

He has a 40" Sony full HD TV and the difference between Full HD and SD is remarkable. Even I can see the difference!

If your source is not Full HD then there is no point in having a HD TV.

 

Keith.

[RogP]

what ever TV you choose go and view it actually working first and against other TVs.

 

Go to somewhere like Currys who have loads to view. If you can take with you a dvd of your favourite film and ask them to play it through each TV.

 

Reason for this will be very obvious as despite their perported quality and technological benefits TVs vary greatly from one to another , even when seemingly they are in the same category or even from the same maker.

 

one of the ways to review this is Currys have a standard montage playing across their demo TVs , take alook at this and pay attention to the logo shot and (if its in the montage) the Freeview logo part of the montage.

 

Look for the ghosting effect of these images across the range of TVs and you will see what I'm probably not actually explaining very well. :'(

 

There are huge differneces so spend some time watching them in the shop first , when I recently got my 32 LG LCD I spent about an hour just watching the TVs , luckily for me (not) the Shrek film was playing which I know inside out back to front and upside down so I had a very good base to decide from.

 

If you have kids who watch cartoons make sure you can view that type of program as well as cartoons can look awful on some TVs.

 

Good luck

[Bulletguy]

Keithl - 2010-10-09 10:58 AM

 

Hi Bulletguy,

 

I've just run this past my son who is into watching movies from DVD and he says that he does not think Freesat is FULL HD. He believes it is only 720p and not the 1080p of full HD.

 

My HD channels comes via Freesat using a sat receiver box. Both BBC and ITV screen in full HD on Freesat....it actually states that you are tuned to full HD when it's on. It also takes up far more space if recorded onto the HDD due to the file size which of course if it wasn't HD it would not use as much space on the HDD.

 

It was installed at the time of the Chelsea Flower show which was being screened in HD. Not that i'm a gardening type or even interested in flowers but that's an ideal visual to make comparison. I flicked between the two, HD and SD and couldn't see any marked difference.

 

As i've mentioned before, television screen technology has come on in huge leaps over the years which has meant we now get excellent screen resolution on even the cheapest 'fred blog' brand sets.

 

 

 

 

[Way2Go]

OK, this is my final attempt to try to get you to understand that you are NOT currently watching HD.  This is from the Freeview web site where they have a demonstration of why you should switch to HD.

Have a look at this http://www.freeview.co.uk/HD/Why-HD and if you can't see any difference between the left and right of the screen, book yourself an appointment with Specsavers.

W2G

[Mel B]

Thanks for all your help etc guys. We've got a TV now! :-D

 

We decided to stick with the 32" size as the bigger you go the more 'in your face' the images are and we didn't want it to dominate the lounge, plus there was a lot more choice at that size.

 

We spoke to a techy bloke in Tesco who gave us a lot of info on the various types of telly, one of the things he said was that HD programmes are currently broadcast in 720* mode and not the full 1080* (* not sure of the exact numbers), and are likely to stay at that level, so unless we watched Blue Ray or used it for gaming, or got a cable connection, we wouldn't benefit from a full HD tv. For us therefore there isn't much point in paying for something we'd never use. We have a good DVD player already so didn't need that either, so just a normal LCD was required.

 

We had a really good mooch round and have settled on a 'Tesco special' Technika 32-2010, 32" HD ready LCD TV with built in freeview for £249. I insisted on hearing how well the speakers performed in the 32-2011 version that was on display (the only difference being that it has a built in DVD) and the sound quality was very good, even in a noisy store, and the pictures from the Commonwealth games were good too. We could have paid more for a 'name' but the picture quality of some of the better known makes was poorer.

 

We've now got it rigged up in the lounge and it looks very smart, and the images on DVD playback are extremely good.

[Guest Tracker]

Which reminds me - long long ago my mum and dad became the proud owner of Bush TV which was so modern it had pre set push buttons to change channel. This was long before remote controls and as there were only two channels the very optimistic five buttons were something of an overkill!

 

Dad made his own remote control by fitting a rubber thimble on the end of a fishing rod with which he could change channel and alter the volume without getting up from his chair - or more likely sending me or mum to do it for him!

 

Utter bliss! How easily we were pleased in the mid fifties!