What to look for when buying a new TV

Pyro Boy

Hi i'm looking to buy a new tv around 38-40" and I've been reading about DTV in Ireland on boards.ie but I'm still a bit lost. When I look to buy a tv on websites like Pixmania or Komplett I find it difficult to see weather it supports MPEG4 or if it's the english MPEG2. eg: Pixmania just rights "dual tuner" but doesn't say what kind it is... I don't want to buy a tv now and when 2012 comes need to buy a set top box .Any help here on what I should be looking out for??

I live close to the North and was wondering if I got a tv that supported MPEG 4 would I be able to to view MPEG2 from the North? Or would I need a special tv for this and if so where can I get it from?( is england going to change to MPEG 4??)

Any suggestions on tv's would be greatly appreatied

homer911

As I understand it, MPEG4 is backward compatabile with MPEG2

Onikage

The only thing sales guy I've met who knew there was a difference came up with a confusing mess of reasoning.

MPEG-4 is not backwards compatible, but 99% of the time MPEG-2 will be included (cheap, easy, good selling point).

watty

All MPEG4 equipment does MPEG2 also, though they are separate codecs.

Any DTT receiver for Irish system will do UK, but probably not UK HD DTT as that is a newer different system (DVB-t2). The basic free DTT in UK isn't changing to MPEG4 anytime soon, though pay TV might. HD TV on Terrestrial in UK will be MPEG4, but DVB-t2, so won't work on Irish boxes. DVB-t2 MPEG4 UK HD boxes (not out till 2009/2010) will work in DVB-t and MPEg2 or MPEG4 non-HD such as Irish/Estonia/NZ etc..

Pyro Boy

So if I get a tv that supports MPEG-4 the chances are that i'll be able to get freeview from the North? another thing on komplette is says "Digital TV Tuner=DVB-T" What does that mean? is it MPEG-4 . Also "Analogue TV Tuner=PAL, SECAM" what's SECAM mean?

When reading specs what should I look for is there a standard?

coylemj

SECAM is the French TV standard. Despite the EU rules about a single market the French have always been good at looking after their own so they have their own TV standard which is called SECAM, the rest of western Europe uses PAL. The US, Canada, most of the Caribbean and Japan use NTSC.

If you're buying a TV to use in Ireland with the current analogue terrestrial TV system you need a tuner which supports PAL.

watty

PAL-I specifically. Sound won't work on the other versions of PAL.

SECAM is really old. There was only 5 or 6 Common Market members then?

TV from north depends on where you live (strong signal needed via aerial from NI or Wales) rather than flavour of digital tuner.

DVB-t on its own tells you nothing about MPEG2 vs MPEG4. All DVB-t tuners do MPEG2. Only some do MPEG4 also.

Pyro Boy

Thanx can you suggest a 37" TV with a MPEG-4 tuner

Mossy Monk

Although 3" bigger than what you asked for I cannot recommend the Sony KDL40W4000 enough.

Pyro Boy

The retailer i went to today told me that that there was no point to buying a MPEG-4 tv now as there were none on the market and the ones will only get RTE1 2 TV3 Tng. Is he right? he said that RTE haven't decided how they will decode the signal either free or my subscription.

Is he right ? Do I need to future proof the TV or should I just wait and buy a set top box in 2012 when I need it .. Help please:eek:

Plus anyone else have a 37" with MPEG-4

Onikage

No, he's wrong on every count.

* There are several MPEG-4 enabled TV's on the market today
* A TV that can decode MPEG-4 today will be able to receive the free DTT channels when they launch
* A TV that can decode MPEG-4 today and has a CI slot will be able to receive the pay DTT channels when they launch
* RTE have announced how the free channels will be transmitted
* Boxer have announced how the pay channels will be transmitted
* You don't need to future proof now, but if you wish it is possible (and costs a bit more)

watty

yes he is totally wrong on every count.

However waiting till the service actually starts is cheaper.

A PVR set-box with two tuners is best way to go if you record TV as it can record one channel while watching another, use Program Guide planner to plan recording automatically and give playback identical to live TV quality.

Pyro Boy

1.)So if i get a "normal" freeview tv i can just buy a prv set-top box later (2012) and it'll work ok? 2)is prv better than iDDT ?

byte

1) Yes
2) In my opinion yes, but some prefer to have DTT built in, to save on remote control clutter. Doubt if any integrated DTT-PVR TV's exist yet?

L1011

byte wrote: »

1) Yes
2) In my opinion yes, but some prefer to have DTT built in, to save on remote control clutter. Doubt if any integrated DTT-PVR TV's exist yet?

Technisat have them. Not cheap by any stretch of the imagination though!

Onikage

Pyro Boy wrote: »

I don't want to buy a tv now and when 2012 comes need to buy a set top box

OP, buying an STB later really is the better option. It would cost a silly amount to future proof with MPEG4 and PVR today and you wouldn't see the benefit until DTT launches.

watty

MYOB wrote: »

Technisat have them. Not cheap by any stretch of the imagination though!

I've seen them.

The problem is an iDTV cost more, with PVR much more and the higher complexity means higher cost and more likelyhood of failure.

TVs are really now monitors. A fully integrated TV / PVR is like a PC built into a Monitor. You can buy them.

GerardKeating

coylemj wrote: »

SECAM is the French TV standard. Despite the EU rules about a single market the French have always been good at looking after their own so they have their own TV standard which is called SECAM,

SECAM predates the single market by a few decades...