TV's with MPEG4 DTT decoder

Bob_Harris wrote: »

I went for the LG 32LH2000 in the end because of the ability to play movies from the USB port after a "firmware hack".

Mind me asking how you're finding this so far? Was thinking of picking one up for the bedroom byt I've never bought an LG product before.

The old CRT Television is, I believe, ready to give up the ghost. It’s occasionally turning itself off and the picture has widened and can’t even be reduced by selecting the ‘reduced’ option on the set. So I guess I’ll soon be in the market for a new TV.

Now I’ve a good idea of what I want: 32inch, capable of receiving FTA broadcasts from the Republic and from what I’m reading the way to go is to buy a new Freeview HD ready television. No games or satellite.

Over the past number of days I’ve been doing a little research and come up with the following tv’s which are advertised as Freeview HD Ready
Sony KDL32EX403 £549
Sony KDL32EX503U £699
Sony KDL32EX403U £500
LG 32LD690 £650
Panasonic TX-L32S20 32" £699
Samsung LE32C650L £699
Samsung LE32C580 £600
Samsung UE32C5100 £560

Now there is no way I’m going to pay in excess of £700 just to watch television so I’ve stopped at that mark and I’ve also ignored a number of manufacturers such as Toshiba as it would seem that they have been a little ‘ify’ in their offerings over the past number of years.

You guys down South what’s on offer there and what sort of prices are been charged? It maybe that I can buy a Southern model for less than one tagged Freeview HD ready that will do the same job; a few of the smaller retailers here in the North may stock these models. I’m assuming that when the tag Freeview HD is stamped on the television the price is hiked! So as I can have a look at their web site who are the big retailers in the Republic.

My manufacturer of choice would be Panasonic but their offering at £700 is a bit on the heavy side so I’m thinking it will probably be the Sony KDL32EX403 @ £549, the LG 32LD690 @ £650 or the Samsung LE32C580 @ £600.

Any input welcomed

Kevin

Hi Bob, thanks for the reply.

Yep from the little North - Armagh - and trying to get the best of both worlds.

Kevin

I went with the following for my son's room:

Samsung LE26B350 26" LCD TV DVB-T/C MPEG4 Freeview HD

Digital reception very good from small ears aerial in attic
Strength 32%
Quality 61%

kah22 wrote: »

Hi Bob, thanks for the reply.

Yep from the little North - Armagh - and trying to get the best of both worlds.

Kevin

I'm also from Armagh and am going to be getting a TV for my bedroom soon and would like a 26"/32" model capable of receiving the ROI's DTT servcice and also the Freeview service together with Freeview HD when it launches.

We did get the 22" version of the LG LH2000 and it is nice but we have a few niggles with it:

Remote needs you to press the buttons quite hard just to get it to work.
Volume on analogue TV can be put right up to 100 and it isn't that loud, compared to DTT where putting it to 20 would be more than sufficient.
Freeview channels keep re-ordering themselves for some reason.

Maybe I just got a dud set or something, but I don't think I'd go for another LG TV again. Their OSD is very nice looking too and the EPG is nicely laid out, just a pity about the problems. I also have it 'unlocked' so it can play music and films from the USB port on the back.

Let me know what set you are thinking of going for Kevin, I need some suggestions and don't want to be spending loads myself!

somorain wrote: »

I went with the following for my son's room:

Samsung LE26B350 26" LCD TV DVB-T/C MPEG4 Freeview HD

Digital reception very good from small ears aerial in attic
Strength 32%
Quality 61%

Just to confirm this is not a Freeview HD set, it is HD ready and receives the UK Freeview service and the ROI DTT tests. It is available on Ritcher Sounds for £269.95 in NI, not sure what it is down south though.

winston_1 wrote: »

Don't buy Panasonic if you wish to receive TV from the south. Their sets are hobbled for UK use only. No VHF tuner and the MPEG4 doesn't work properly for Irish DTT broadcasts.

Could you expand Winston?

Yesterday I came across This Panasonic Television at Argos (click on Details Tab) scroll to the bottom and you will see where it says:

Please note that the digital (Freeview) features mentioned are not compatible with digital signals broadcast in the Republic of Ireland

Now I was under the impression that a television with a built in Freeview HD tuner IS capable of receiving digital broadcasts from the Republic.

As I said in an earlier post Panasonic would be my manufacturer of choice and this is a very good price for a Panasonic and I'm really tempted but I don't want to buy if it won't pick up digital transmissions from the Republic. It had crossed my mind that this is just a phrase put in by Argos just to keep themselves covered, but then Winson threw up some doubts. What do Panasonic actually do?

Living in Armagh City I have no difficulty picking up both the digital and analogue signal from across the border.

Kevin

Eternal Wonderer wrote: »

Kev, where abouts in Armagh City are you?

Check your private messages.

Kevin

I have a Samsung LE32B450C4WXXN It has an MPEG4 tuner showing Irish DTT including the HD channel at 1080i

HTH

Machinehead wrote: »

I've been looking at the Panasonic LED/LCD TX-L42D25L, built in DVB-T tuner & HD DVB-S satellite receiver @ €1399, kinda saucy. Panasonic have the G20 series plasma almost the exact same spec as the D25 & a lot cheaper - but not available in Ireland, only difference is the UK version hasn't got a VHF tuner. The Irish equivelent is the S20 series (no DVB-S receiver). The only thing thats pushing me towards the LED/LCD model the availability of instant "free" HD satellite broadcasts from BBC & ITV.

I have seen Sony KDL32W5810 for €569 in the Sony store, Full Hd with Freesat. Anyone think this is a good buy

The Cush wrote: »

They are all MPEG-4 compliant, look out for "Digital: MPEG-2 MP@ML/HL, H.264/MPEG-4 AVC MP/HP@L4" in the specification.

Does that mean that televisions with the above would be able to pick up digital television from both North and South of the border; given, of course, that you are within range.

Coming from the North I want a 32 inch set that will give me Freeview, Freeview HD when it arrives here, and digital television from down south.

Not really that much to ask

Kevin

kah22 wrote: »

Coming from the North I want a 32 inch set that will give me Freeview, Freeview HD when it arrives here, and digital television from down south.

For freeview HD the TV must also be DVB-T2 compliant i.e. it must carry the freeview HD logo.

TVs that carry that logo will also be DVB-T MPEG2 and MPEG4 backward compatible and should receive the overspill Irish DTT channels.

Just checking for later on, when tuning in the RTE channels on DTT, is it best to set the TV up for UK or Ireland in the menu? I will also be receiving Freeview on this set.

On the LG model I used to use you could set it for UK but then the EPG numbers were set and you couldn't reorder channels or anything, but if you chose "no country" or any other apart from UK it let you re-order the channels, rename them and stuff. Also, the digital text feature might not activate if it's in the Ireland setting too, so I don't know which is best to use!

The TV I will be using is the Samsung LE32B450 as stated in a previous post. Any users of that set might have the answer to my query!

If I run into any difficulties later when setting it up I may take you up on that offer! Seperate settings for each input it handy, same as my Sony, because playing the Gamecube and watching DVd's require different settings, most manufacturers don't understand that!

Eternal Wonderer wrote: »

Right, TV bought, set up and everything working fine, incluing the RTE channels.

What settings do you have for the sound/picture? I think what I have is OK but I'm curious incase there's somehting I haven't done or checked that might improve the picture or sound.

I have uploaded a document with some calibration settings which I used as a guide.

Eternal Wonderer wrote: »

One small niggle, I have deleted the shopping/tart/text/pay channels from the list, but when I go to view the EPG they still come up. I have re-ordered the channels as to how I want them but they still appear scattered among them or at the end of the EPG. Can they not be fully deleted?

I can't help you here I only have Irish DTT.

As a matter of interest which country did you set it you?

This one in Argos priced at €570 should work, it's a Samsung LE37B550A5WXX 37". Specs state MPEG4 (HD) tuner built-in.

http://www.argos.ie/static/Product/partNumber/0871514/c_1/1%7Ccategory_root%7CHome%2Bentertainment%2Band%2Bsat%2Bnav%7C14419512/c_2/2%7Ccat_14419512%7CTelevisions%7C14419667/c_3/3%7Ccat_14419667%7C37%2Binch%2BLCD%2BTVs%7C14419684.htm