Looking to buy a new TV - need advice!

jasonb

Hi there...

I'm a newbie to this so please bear with me...

I'm looking to buy a new TV, and would like to go the HD route.

I reckon I'm looking at 37", anything bigger than that is just too big for the room really. From what I've read so far online, I think I should be looking at LCD and full HD, but maybe that's wrong? I plan to get SKY HD and I'd also use the TV for my Wii ( using a Componant Cable ) and for a DVD ( just a standard one, not Blue-Ray etc. ) and VCR.

From a connections point of view, that to me means I need two HDMI ports ( one for the Sky and a second for a future DVD player ), 2 SCART ( current DVD and my old VCR ) and 1 Componant ports for the Wii.

I'm aware of things like contrast ratio etc. etc. but not really certain what's a good or bad value. Each manufacturer has their own buzz words / processors / image enhancers etc. so it's hard to know what to go for, and which is better than the other.

If anyone could recommend any TVs to me I'd much appreciate it. Am I right with going with LCD and Full HD? My budget would be around €1000 I'd say, but would go a little higher for the right TV! Thanks in advance, and please move this post if it's in the wrong forum!

J.

jasonb

Typical!

How did I miss the 'Video Displays and Projectors' sub-forum? Could a Mod please move this post to that forum? Thanks...

J.

rondeco

I'd have a look at the series 4 samsung 37". Its only hd ready but an ace tv. I got it last week and its brilliant. 999 euros but I bargained on it and got a very good deal in hardly normal.

jasonb

Thanks for the info Rondeco...

Should I be looking for Full HD or does it make that much of a difference? As far as I understand it, HD Ready is a lower resolution than full HD, will I notice the difference if I'm using the TV for Sky HD, a Wii ( which doesn't do full HD anyhow as far as I know ) and probably a Blue Ray DVD in the future?

J.

Phaetonman

I would say find the best quality picture you can find and make that your priority. Look at screens, read reivews and try and test out some dark material in a proper shop. LCDs stil lhave issues with black level but its improving all the time. Newer screens are your best bet.

Having a HD 37inch plasma myself I would actually reccomend a 42inc h as people rarely regret going bigger.

As for full HD plug a few figures into this and see what you need. At 37 inches, any furthre than 4.8 feet and you won't notice much of a difference. Even 50inches and you are still only 6.5 feet away.

http://myhometheater.homestead.com/viewingdistancecalculator.html

jasonb

Thanks Phaetonman,

That calculator is interesting, going by those figures I'd imagine most standard sitting rooms aren't set up right and don't have a big enough TV!

Unfortunately, budget and asthetics ( mine and my fiancée's ) mean that anything bigger than 37" is pushing it a bit. I could maybe go 40, but I doubt.

A quick look today at Harvey Norman's suggests that a budget of €1000 won't buy me a Full HD 37" TV. Now, I'm not suggesting that Harvey Norman's is the best or cheapest place to buy a TV, but it does make me wonder if my budget is inaccurate.

As a newbie, I'm confused by the difference between HD Ready ( 1366 x 720 ) and Full HD ( 1920 x 1080 ). I mean, clearly there's a difference in possible resolution, so how can they both be 'HD'? If Sky HD etc. is great on a HD Ready TV, is it better on a Full HD TV? Do you future proof your TV ( as much as you can with an electronic device ) by getting Full HD? I guess it's the obvious question, is it worth paying extra for Full HD? If you're sitting at the correct distance from the TV, does Full HD look better than HD Ready, displaying ( say ) Sky HD ( all other things being equal, so imagine it's the exact same model of TV though one is HD Ready and one is Full HD )...

J.

jasonb

Just to get a bit more specific, the Philips 37PFL7662D has caught my eye. Harvey Norman have it for €1199, Power City have it €100 cheaper but I'd have to order it. Spec here...

http://www.consumer.philips.com/consumer/en/ie/consumer/cc/_productid_37PFL7662D_05_IE_CONSUMER/widescreen-flat-TV+37PFL7662D-05

Any got any experience of this TV? If I were to test it out in Harvey Norman's, what should I use, should I bring my own DVD or something like that?

J.

The Ritz

Moved as requested..............

Ritz

jasonb

Thanks Ritz!

So, now that I'm in the right forum, anyone got any advice about the TV mentioned above?

J.

TheAmateur

How do you feel about ordering your tv online? I just got my 32" Samsung (today ) and I ordered it last wednesday, so I don't think that's too bad, shipping-wise. I'd recommend ordering online myself, there are some horror stories (on these boards). I'd at least recommend checking out some sites. Here are some links I accumulated looking for my tv...
http://www.komplett.ie/k/kc.aspx?bn=10448 (komplett.ie, beware shipping though = €120!)
http://www.elara.ie/products/television.asp?ECatID2=654701&2P2ID=395&Desc2=33%2D44in
(not the greatest site, but located in Dublin, so no delivery charge if you pick it up)
http://www.ebuyer.com/store/Sound-&-Vision/cat/Televisions?hp=pc (usually overpriced but occasionally suprises with a decent price)
http://www.pixmania.com/ie/uk/59/xx/xx/8/3/criteresn.html (have heard a few horror stories about this site, so dunno....)
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/productlist.php?groupid=703&catid=511 (where I ordered my tv! They have the Samsung 5 series at good prices, worth a look, but there are stories about them on the boards too. Guess I was lucky...)
As far as checking tv reviews goes, what I did was use cnet's hdtv finder (http://reviews.cnet.com/televisions/?tag=cnetfd.dir) and looked at reviews there, then I went to productwiki.com to look at more reviews. Also useful is going on to american sites like Amazon, newegg, and circuicity, finding the tv you were thinking about and reading the reviews on it there. I wish we could buy from those sites...:(
After seeing my new tv I personally would recommend the 37" version of my tv but tbh that panasonic looks quite good too. It usually comes down to which one you can find cheaper.

jasonb

Hi TheAmateur,

Thanks for the advice and the links. How much did shipping cost you? The 37" Samsung is Full HD and looks like a similar spec to the Phillips I was looking at, but it's £765 ( approx. €975 ) so I'd be interested in how much shipping is!

I'd rather buy in a shop for two reasons. I can see the TV itself and how good the image is on it, and I have somewhere to bring it back if there's a problem, instead of having to ship it. But I buy enough stuff online to know the pros and cons.

Have to see now if I can get some review of both the Philips and the Samsung to compare them!

J.

P.S. I take it, maybe incorrectly, that the Series 5 is newer than the Series 4? Or are they just different model numbers?

jasonb

Ah, to answer one of my own questions, the Series 5 is Full HD, the Series 4 is HD Ready...

Anyone got any experience or advice on the Series 5 v the Phillips mentioned above?

J.

TheAmateur

Hi jasonb,
Meant to put in shipping in my last post . It was £22 (€28) for my 32", it could be more for a 37" though (don't think it should be, but ya never know...) so just look out for that. I don't think I've seen that Philips model in shops myself, but if you're up for a little "light" reading, this thread here: Samsung Series 5 Owners Thread has a wealth of information and there are comparisons between nearly every hdtv in there. It's a tough read though (98 pages:eek:) Actually, what you could try is starting a thread there and put the Samsung against the Philips. After comparing them myself it seems that they are practically identical in terms of specs. I think it's time for eenie-meenie:D

Biro

jasonb wrote: »

Thanks Phaetonman,

That calculator is interesting, going by those figures I'd imagine most standard sitting rooms aren't set up right and don't have a big enough TV!

Unfortunately, budget and asthetics ( mine and my fiancée's ) mean that anything bigger than 37" is pushing it a bit. I could maybe go 40, but I doubt.

A quick look today at Harvey Norman's suggests that a budget of €1000 won't buy me a Full HD 37" TV. Now, I'm not suggesting that Harvey Norman's is the best or cheapest place to buy a TV, but it does make me wonder if my budget is inaccurate.

As a newbie, I'm confused by the difference between HD Ready ( 1366 x 720 ) and Full HD ( 1920 x 1080 ). I mean, clearly there's a difference in possible resolution, so how can they both be 'HD'? If Sky HD etc. is great on a HD Ready TV, is it better on a Full HD TV? Do you future proof your TV ( as much as you can with an electronic device ) by getting Full HD? I guess it's the obvious question, is it worth paying extra for Full HD? If you're sitting at the correct distance from the TV, does Full HD look better than HD Ready, displaying ( say ) Sky HD ( all other things being equal, so imagine it's the exact same model of TV though one is HD Ready and one is Full HD )...

J.

HD ready is giving you 720 lines progressive and 1080 lines interlaced. Progressive is line 1, 2, 3, 4 etc... "drawn" in sucession, interlaced is line 1, 3, 5, 7 etc on first cycle then 2, 4, 6, 8 etc on the 2nd cycle. Full HD is 1080 lines progressive.
On a 32" TV you probably won't notice the difference. On a 37" it might begin to show, bigger than that and it becomes more apparent. Sky HD and most HD live feeds are 720p, so basically a HD ready TV and Full HD TV will be giving the same quality picture, all other things being equal. The Wii won't make a difference, that's 420p. Blu-Ray players, HD-DVD players, X-box 360 and PS3 can all display at 1080p (Full HD).
If your budget can stretch, go for a Full HD. If not, it's not the end of the world. Incidently, some Plasma's at HD ready were reported by most experts as having a better picture than some similarly priced LCD Full HD TV's, so there's more to it than just resolution!

jasonb

Thanks Biro,

That definitely answers some of the questions I had. The Full HD might be more noticeable on a 37", but only with BlueRay or any other 1080p input, which doesn't include the Wii ( as I knew already ) and Sky HD ( which I didn't know ). I think if my budget can afford it I will go Full HD though, as I'd hope to get a BlueRay at some stage!

And thanks TheAmateur, I'll see if I can go through that doc. So far the only two TVs I've seen that match what spec I have ( 37", Full HD, LCD, near to €1000 ) are the Phillips 37PFL7662D and the Samsung Series 5 LE37A559P4F. I really need to see both of them in action, preferably showing the same content, to get a sense of it. I'll see if I can get any comparisons anywhere too...

J.

jasonb

Yet another post from me...


I've compared the two TVs I'm looking at as follows...

Philips 37PFL7662D
Contrast 7500:1
Response : 6ms
Viewing : 176 Degree Horizontal and Vertical
HDMI Ports : 2
Price : €1199 approx from a shop

Samsung Series 5 LE37A559P4F
Contrast 15000:1
Response : 5ms
Viewing : 178 Degree Horizontal and Vertical
HDMI Ports : 3
Price : €1040 approx delivered from Overclockers

Looking at those two lists, is there any reason I should be going for the Philips? Unfortunately I haven't yet found the Series 5 37" in a shop so I can't see how it looks. I hate to buy a TV without seeing it first, and while the Samsung is better on paper above, the Philips might be a much better TV for all I know. Decisions decisions...

J.

TheAmateur

After giving you the headache of choice, I'm actually going to throw in a vote for the Philips:o. After reading threads here I don't feel too great about recommending an e-tailer like overclockers over a bricks-and-mortar shop, when the price difference isn't worth the potential nightmares. As you said, you can see the tv in the shop, you don't have to worry about dodgy delivery companies (do a quick search for GLS on the boards...) and if there's a problem, you just get it back to the shop. Sorry for the headache!

bab

Hate to add problems but what about the Sony KDL37P3020? Alliance are looking for €869 so you'd have some money left to put towards the SkyHD box

Don't buy into the 1080 thing, you'll never notice the difference on a 37inch screen even if you're sitting up close and many of the 720p models do a much better job of rendering the pictures anyway.
ALSO Sky is only 720p at best and most programmes are still SD, even some movies.
So there's no visible difference and little content available, you be the judge.

When people say they can see a difference twixt 720 and 1080 they'll actually be seeing differences from the processing engine (often just a tweak in the settings) and/or a difference in the quality of the screen itself.
HOWEVER... the newer sets often have the best screen and the best processing engines and thanks to the bulk of the population chasing the numbers most of the latest sets have 1920x1080. Also if you're connecting to a PC then you get more screen real-estate which is nice.
In the end it's a balance between being a gormless idiot chasing the latest magic number or getting the best picture and value you can

jasonb

Well, I'm a happy guy!

I found out that Power City had the Samsung Series 5 so I went over there yesterday evening. Was very happy with how the TV looked ( both the image on the Screen and how the TV itself looks! ) and they had it for €1159, so cheaper than the €1199 for the Philips. The Philips TV just looked a bit blockier and bigger, for the same size screen.

I'd read a lot about the Samsung in the 99 page thread TheAmateur pointed me to, and it had a lot of very happy owners, who knew a lot more about LCD TVs than I do, so I was happy with the performance I'd get from the TV.

So, I was leaning towards getting the Series 5 37" for €1159 ( approx. €100 dearer than Overclockers, but like you said TheAmateur, at least it's a bricks and mortar shop and it's easy to bring it back if you want to ).

And then my darling Fiancée says 'there's the Samsung Series 5 40", it doesn't look THAT much bigger, does it?'. I knew there's a reason why I'm marrying her! They had the 40" for €1199, with a special offer of a free DVD player. I asked about it, and if I didn't take the DVD player I could have €100 off. So, a 40" Full HD LCD for €1099 was just perfect for me, and it's now sitting in the corner of our sitting room!

I'm very happy with it, I've used some of the Calibration settings on the AVSForums and the pic and sound is pretty cool. My Wii is also set up ( using a componant Cable ) and my god Madden '08 looks hot! Can't wait for Sky HD or Blueray too.

My thoughts on the TV itself ( as opposed to the image it displays ) is it's a fine piece of equipment, even though it's a 40" screen, it doesn't look THAT much bigger than my old 28" CRT and it definitely hasn't taken over the room. The only little bugbear I have is that the TV actually 'tilts' slightly on the stand, it's maybe 1cm lower on the left than on the right. I reckon that's due to a lot of electronics being on that side of the board for all the ports.

Thanks to everyone for all their help with this purchase, I consider my entry to the HDTV world a successful one!

J.

TheAmateur

Wow dude, nice find! I'm happy you're happy with it:D Just did the conversion for that 40" model on Overclockers and you'll be happy to hear that it would've only been €5.50 cheaper! So you did brilliant there man. Congrats!

jasonb

Yep, I'm very happy with it, nothing like making your mind up and then getting a better TV for less money! Of course, I'll spend most of the next couple of weeks messing with the display settings! And Sky HD is next...

J.

Officer Giggles

hey jason im getting the impression from the thread that u only have standard tv atm, thats all i have and im interested in buying the 40" samsung, what does the standard tv look like on it, cheers

jasonb

Hey Officer,

Yep, at the moment I have Sky Digital, but not HD.

SD on it is fine, I've noticed that it depends on the station and the content you're watching. For example, yesterday RTE 1 were showing an old movie and for some reason the reception wasn't great ( even over Sky ) so it didn't look great. But watching Scrubs on Paramount looked great, not a bother with it.

I watched a bit of football too and you do get what I think is called 'ghosting' ( i.e. a slight blurred area around the players as they move around ). To my mind, this could be better or worse depending on 3 things... the Station showing it ( some stations are definitely better than others ), the reception ( I know if your Dish is slightly out of alignment with the Satellite you can have problems ) and then also the settings on the TV.

If you're not used to a HD TV ( and I'm not yet! ) you'll be stunned by the amount of settings there are, and how much of a difference in can make to the image. I almost miss the old 'Brightness and Contrast only' option! You can really improve ( or make worse! ) any image you're watching. The Series 5 has three options ( Standard, Movie, Dynamic ) and you can edit various settings for each of these, so you can basically have three different 'viewing settings'. Also, those three settings are seperate for each input. So if you've a Sky Box over the HDMI or Scart, you can have three sets of settings for that. If you've a DVD over the other Scart, another three sets of settings. Wii over Componant, another three sets etc. etc.

When it comes down to it, I've been very happy with SD on the TV, but I know that SD will in general look a little poor on a 40" LCD compared to say a 32" CRT. That's one of the reasons I will get Sky HD. But do I regret getting the TV as most of the stations I watch will be SD? Not at all! It's a great TV.

Hope this helps...

J.

Officer Giggles

thanks jason yea that helps loads, i just have ur run of the mill ntl pipe coming into the house so all my stations will be sd, i will have a ps3 so hope to get the best out of the tv when it comes to playing games, i am slightly concerned about the "ghosting" images when watching football, is it very noticable and does it run the viewing or is it ok.

thanks for the help jason

jasonb

Hi again...

Depending on the settings on the TV, the 'ghosting' can be noticeable alright, but it doesn't detract from the TV and doesn't ruin watching the match. My last TV ( 28" CRT ) didn't have ghosting but when watching football the ball would get very blurred if moving fast, and I haven't seen this on the TV. You can spot the ghosting if you look for it, but it in no way makes you think 'why did I get this TV' and like I said, if you go with Sky HD it won't be a problem anymore anyhow!

The PS3 on this TV will look pretty cool, as far as I know the PS3 can display 1080p, which this TV supports ( it being a Full HD TV ) and I reckon you'll be delighted with the result. My Wii ( which only does 480p ) looks excellent on this compared to how it looked on my last TV.

Hope all this helps, let me know if you've anymore questions!

J.

Officer Giggles

cheers man i think im just going to go for it

jasonb

Nice one!

Let me know how you get on with it, you should be delighted!

J.

yeah-buddy

good thread, helped me a lot!

jasonb

Hey there...

Glad to hear it helped, it can be a bit of a minefield looking for your first HD TV. If you've any questions drop them in here and we'll try to help...

J.

Officer Giggles

jasonb wrote: »

Hey there...

Glad to hear it helped, it can be a bit of a minefield looking for your first HD TV. If you've any questions drop them in here and we'll try to help...

J.

a minefield is one word for it alright

jasonb

Definitely! You've got to consider what size you want / can afford. Do you want LCD or Plasma. Do you want HD Ready or Full HD. What will you be watching on it ( SD TV, HD TV, DVD, Blueray, Wii, XBox etc ) as that can make a big difference. What ports do you need ( HDMI, Componant etc. ).

Even when you've figured out that stuff, you then start comparing Contrast Ratios, Response Times, Brightless Levels, Viewing Angles etc.

And even then when you've compared all those, you have to look at the stuff that can't be compared. Is Dynamic Contrast on the Samsung better or worse than Pixel Plus on the Philips, or is it even comparable? All the different manufacturers have different features on their TVs and it's hard to know where to look.

All in all, lots of fun, especially as you're probably paying a fair chunk of money out and you don't want to make a mistake. And lets not forget, it's a piece of technology, so it'll probably be obsolete next year anyhow!

J.

AIR-AUSSIE

I'm looking to buy a 32" tv to use with my PS3. And I was wondering if anyone could give some advice or recommendations?

I was thinking Sony, Samsung or Panasonic

I've been looking at the Sony kdl32d3000 for £716 pound from amazon at the mo, knowing Sony is reliable I've had no probs with the Sony CRT TV I currently have in my sitting room. And apparently it deals with a PS3 better then other models although i'm not sure if this is true.

On this tread you seem to be liking Samsung and I'm just wondering if anyone likes the Sony kdl32d3000?

I'm currently unsure whether i need 1080p or not or would 720p do? I would like to future proof my investment if it was possible.

Also the room I'm buying it for is my bedroom and isnt exactly huge - about 3.5m square approx. Would a 32" be too big? I was considering a 26" till i saw a 32" wasn't that much more expensive.

yeah-buddy

jasonb wrote: »

Hey there...

Glad to hear it helped, it can be a bit of a minefield looking for your first HD TV. If you've any questions drop them in here and we'll try to help...

J.

hey jason im looking to buy a 42" tv for the sitting room, it will mainly be used for watching tv, and my xbox360, can you recommend a tv to buy in the 800-1000euro price range

help greatly appreciated:D