Need to get a new TV - any recommendations/deals?

bazwaldo

My 32" Philips LCD is broken and I need to replace it. Its in the family room which means most of the time kids TV is on it but I would like to watch full HD stuff on it too. The Philips was just 720p so I would prefer 1080p now and something with a bigger screen. The viewing distance is 8ft so I don't know if 40inch+ is too big, in that for SD content, the picture may not look too hot when too close. 37" isn't great value I believe as its much the same price as 40 or 42 in many cases. What do you think?

The Philips picture was fine but the sound was awful so something with decent sound is a must as I won't be looking it up to an external sound system.

So decent picture, good sound, 1080p and not too big for 8ft away. And of course it must be a bargain.:D

Thanks,
Barry

bazwaldo

I did a bit of reading and seems that 40 or 42 inch screens are fine from that distance

And also the room is quite dark and from what I read, this suits a plasma. I'll be hooking a PC up to the TV to view recorded TV and BBCHD and videos too but would rarely use the PC as a desktop, mainly just as a HTPC.

Paschcom

I have a similar query but looking for a larger screen - up to 50 inch. The viewing distance is up to 16 ft - is 50" too big?

Also, my living room is quite bright during the day with lots of large windows in direct sunlight for the afternoon. I heard that Plasma isn't great for bright room due to the glass screen and lots of reflections, so supposedly LCD are better.
Is this correct?
If so, any deals going on good 47-50" LCD's?
tks

Richersounds.ie: Ashley

Nicola on behalf of Ash:

Hi Barry,

Around 8' to 12' should be an ok viewing distance for a 42" or a 37". Now if sound is a feature for you I would point you in the direction of out 9000 series TV's. The 42PFL9664H packs a punch that I've yet to hear from another LCD Screen.

42PFL9664H - specs - http://www.philipsshop.ie/nineseries.htm - This usually retails for €1799.99 so with your Philips Shop Boards 10% Discount that comes to €1619.99.

This is an awsome TV packed to the hilt with features. Wi-Fi Net TV, 5 HDMI connections, VGA, USB (capable of interacting and playing back picture, music and movie files off external hard drives of up to 500GB) , wOOx technology (kinda like mini subs in the back of the TV), 200Hrz processor with refresh rate of 1ms.

Bar the 40PFL9704H this is the best out there.

Have a look anyway and let me know what you reckon, Thanks a mil, Nicola.

Richersounds.ie: Ashley

Nicola on behalf of Ash:

Hey Paschcom,

You are correct about the Plasma and the sunlight. Plasma screens have glass on the front of their panals which of course is a reflective material and so makes watching quite difficult in especially bright rooms.

LCD panals on the other hand tend to have a softer overlay screen with an anti reflective type finish so they are much better suited to bright rooms.

We have 2 different sizes which may interest you. 47" or 52". We don't do any 50" screens.

The 47PFL5604H - spec - http://www.philipsshop.ie/fiveseries.htm - This retails for €999.99 instore so with your Philips Shop Boards 10% Discount that comes to €899.99.

The 52PFL5604H - spec - http://www.philipsshop.ie/fiveseries.htm - This retails for €1499.99 instore so with your Philips Shop Boards 10% Discount that comes to €1349.99.

Or we have the 100Hrz option:

52PFL7404 - spec - http://www.philipsshop.ie/sevenseries.htm - This is on special at the moment down from €1899.99 to €1699.99 and so your Philips Shop Boards 10% Discount does not apply.

Have a quick look and let me know if this is what you're after, Nicola.

bazwaldo

Thanks for getting back to me Nicola. I'll take a look and have a think but first reaction is thats too much for me. Something with less bells and whistles (and price) would be a better fit. I don't need the wifi or usb capability as I have a home theatre PC for all that.

Sound is important though. Do any of the other series have good sound at a better price? 40PFL9704H is even more money so thats a no-no too. The 7 and 8 series look great but whats their sound like?

Richersounds.ie: Ashley

Nicola on behalf of Ash:

The 7 and 8 series both have 2 x 10W speakers built in but they do have a good sound. Its hard to know from my opinion though. Would there be any chance you could make it in to the store and I could give you a full demonstration on these.

They are also great screens but without some of the add ons that the 9664 boasts. But of course as you said all this costs extra.

The 42PFL7404H - specs - http://www.philipsshop.ie/sevenseries.htm - This retails at €949.99 so with your Philips Shop Boards 10% Discount that comes to €854.99.

The 42PFL8404H - specs - http://www.philipsshop.ie/eightseries.htm - This retails at €999.99 instore so with your Philips Shop Boards 10% Discount this comes to €899.99.

Have a look and let me know what you think. Nicola.

bazwaldo

I'm on the brink of ordering a Samsung 37'' LE37B550 from M&S. Its going for £449 including 5yr warranty and I can get it delivered to a mate up the north. Theres also a thing called quidco which gives 5% back on M&S purchases so after much searching around I think I have found a good TV at a bargain price.

Before I take the plunge I would be interested to hear of anything that might tempt me away from this purchase as I have heard so much good feedback about you guys I don't want to dismiss other options just yet. I don't see that specific TV on the richersounds site but if there is anything you can suggest please let me know. I was thinking of holding out for the new Philips range as an LED TV would be very nice to have and they look great plus I would expect better sound too than the Samsung, but I have a feeling an LED 37-40" in the new range would be near double the Samsung price. Thanks

Richersounds.ie: Ashley

Hi Bazwaldo

The newer range of Philips LED Edge Lit LCD TV's is a little way off and as yet we have no pricing on them.

Considering that the 37PFL5604H is selling at €649.99 instore (before your 10% Philips Shop Boardies Discount is applied...) I'd say the LED backlit version will be a little more expensive.

The onboard sound on Philips TV's has always been a strong point and is frequently mentioned in reviews.

Hopefully the RSB lads will have some optiopns for you to mull over.

atb
Ash

Richersounds.ie: John

BAz,

cannot bear the thoughts of losing a sale to M & S - I have PM'd you a couple of killer deals!!

Keep me posted,

ATB,

John Mc & Crew

bazwaldo wrote: »

I'm on the brink of ordering a Samsung 37'' LE37B550 from M&S. Its going for £449 including 5yr warranty and I can get it delivered to a mate up the north. Theres also a thing called quidco which gives 5% back on M&S purchases so after much searching around I think I have found a good TV at a bargain price.

Before I take the plunge I would be interested to hear of anything that might tempt me away from this purchase as I have heard so much good feedback about you guys I don't want to dismiss other options just yet. I don't see that specific TV on the richersounds site but if there is anything you can suggest please let me know. I was thinking of holding out for the new Philips range as an LED TV would be very nice to have and they look great plus I would expect better sound too than the Samsung, but I have a feeling an LED 37-40" in the new range would be near double the Samsung price. Thanks

bazwaldo

Thanks John & Ashley. Picked up my TV from the Philips store this morning.

You've managed to make me spend more money and still feel I got a bargain! I've just plugged her in and it looks great. I'll have many hours messing with settings tonight and annoying herself