Full HD televisions 42" +

flipsat

I am planning to buy a new tv and want a HD Digital 42" screen or more, I have a Sky package. As I will be in UK from Wed next with my motor I am wondering if I should buy one there and if there would be any disadvantages to this. I have from reading the posts got the message that I need an MPEG4 DTT decoder type and that not all those on sale in UK will have this specification. Any recommendations/advice about what to buy and where to look would be appreciated as I am very green on this whole technology. For example if I got an HD DTT that was only MPEG2 then would I be able to see the Sky HD channels here and then when the Irish DTT gets rolling could I get a stb to get these channels?
Hope this makes some sort of sense.

bkbk

If you use Sky and plan to continue using Sky, then it doesn't matter. The Sky box will work with all HD TV's *

It only makes a difference if you plan to get TV via aerial.

* While not necessary, TV will look better with a Sky HD box and HD subscription.

I find Mpeg4 RTE2 and one better quality than via a hdmi cable on sky.

bkbk

Deleted User wrote: »

I find Mpeg4 RTE2 and one better quality than via a hdmi cable on sky.

Not surprised, the bitrate of DTT is higher then Sky SD channels. Plus it is MPEG4 versus MPEG2.

I agree my parents have it on their HD TV and RTE looks fabulous.

flipsat

Thanks for all the replies. Before I go to Uk on Wed I want to look at prices here in Ireland. Have looked online at DID Electrical and Ebay and of course Argos catalogue. Any other places that are good prices, I live in Wexford but can travel and will be in Dublin end of month.

Sam Russell

flipsat wrote: »

I live in Wexford .

You might get Welsh DTT in Wexford, depending on your exact location. In which case, I would try to get a DVD T2 set that can receive Freeview HD. That will give you all UK channels, inc BBC HD, ITV1 HD, and CH4 HD. It will also give you Irish DTT, inc HD should it broadcast here. Otherwise, I would get a set with Freesat built in.

Richersounds in NI are worth checking out.

steveq

Try Power City (www.powercity.ie). They seem to have good prices and are offering TVs with 'Satellite Tuner' which I presume is Freesat.

STB

flipsat wrote: »

I am planning to buy a new tv and want a HD Digital 42" screen or more, I have a Sky package. As I will be in UK from Wed next with my motor I am wondering if I should buy one there and if there would be any disadvantages to this. I have from reading the posts got the message that I need an MPEG4 DTT decoder type and that not all those on sale in UK will have this specification. Any recommendations/advice about what to buy and where to look would be appreciated as I am very green on this whole technology. For example if I got an HD DTT that was only MPEG2 then would I be able to see the Sky HD channels here and then when the Irish DTT gets rolling could I get a stb to get these channels?
Hope this makes some sort of sense.

Pick up an LG 42LF7700. 599 STG.

• It has a Freesat HD tuner (you can connect your sat connection going to Sky box directly to the TV - that means the satellite tuner is built into the TV (with 7 day epg). You may find that Sky is unnecessary expenditure when you find out what is free - including BBC HD, ITV HD Now. oh yeah and Channel4 HD (from later this year on freesat).

• It decodes Irish DTT via the DVB-T tuner.

• It has MHEG5.

• It is FULL HD.

• It also has both analogue VHF & UHF tuners

Its also available in 47" at 779 STG.

Where are you going ?

John mac

post a question here

JOhn may be able to sort you out.

Satdog

flipsat wrote: »

Thanks for all the replies. Before I go to Uk on Wed I want to look at prices here in Ireland. Have looked online at DID Electrical and Ebay and of course Argos catalogue. Any other places that are good prices, I live in Wexford but can travel and will be in Dublin end of month.

If in Dublin call into the Phillips Shop on Dame Street. Harvey Norman in Waterford also worth a look.

Alun

Satdog wrote: »

If in Dublin call into the Phillips Shop on Dame Street.

Also see this http://boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055515600 ... 10% discount to all "boardsies".

noodledog

Pick up just about any Panasonic if you're going 42" or bigger.

LCD sux... Sold tv's for 4 years and i've had this argument with everyone. Plasma is still the best regardless of LED backlights and lies about contrast ratios.

Now that that's out of the way, I'd also like to point out I've only ever seen 1 broken Panasonic and that was a DOA. Hence, does not count. They just run forever. Or at least longer than LCD's.... Also, freesat HD as standard in all the UK models.

And for the love of god DO NOT buy a Philips. Their sets are terrible! They are so out of touch with power users, the people who actually care! Perfect Pixel & Crystal Clear Sound my ass! They're buzzword hobags who price anything good they make WAY WAY out from the competition.

I will recommend LG, even if they do sell Philips the panels. Samsung are going the way of Philips over time, and Sony are just too expensive for what you get. There's really not a brand I can say anything too nice about except Panasonic & LG, now that Pioneer have shut shop. If you can find a Pioneer Kuro plasma in a box, that's pretty much TV perfection right there.

Willby

noodledog wrote: »

Pick up just about any Panasonic if you're going 42" or bigger.

LCD sux... Sold tv's for 4 years and i've had this argument with everyone. Plasma is still the best regardless of LED backlights and lies about contrast ratios.

Now that that's out of the way, I'd also like to point out I've only ever seen 1 broken Panasonic and that was a DOA. Hence, does not count. They just run forever. Or at least longer than LCD's.... Also, freesat HD as standard in all the UK models.

And for the love of god DO NOT buy a Philips. Their sets are terrible! They are so out of touch with power users, the people who actually care! Perfect Pixel & Crystal Clear Sound my ass! They're buzzword hobags who price anything good they make WAY WAY out from the competition.

I will recommend LG, even if they do sell Philips the panels. Samsung are going the way of Philips over time, and Sony are just too expensive for what you get. There's really not a brand I can say anything too nice about except Panasonic & LG, now that Pioneer have shut shop. If you can find a Pioneer Kuro plasma in a box, that's pretty much TV perfection right there.

Hi,
I have to agree with your observations of the Panny plasma. I have a 42" for three years now and the picture is fantastic.
However I'm now contemplating purchasing a second larger screen and have reservations about the Panasonic after reading lots of problems with RTE DTT etc. I would like to get the 47 LG LF7700 as it seems to tick all the boxes. However I would appreciate some feedback re picture quality as I have a 32 lcd LG in a bedroom and the picture quality is not great. Admittedly it is only being fed an RF signal from a distribution amp.
So what sort of picture can I expect from the LG if fed directly from Sky box or its own DTT tuner?
Rgds Willby

cnocbui

Agree about Panasonic vs Phillips.

My previous TV was a 29" CRT Phillips. When you turned it off, the image shrank to the centre of the screen till it was a 2cm thin, very bright white flash and there was a noticeable 'crack' noise. This area became a permanent black burn mark after the warranty had expired of course Then the audio section died and to get sound I had to take the output from the headphone socket and run it to an external amp and speakers.

My Panasonic 50" plasma with freesat is just brilliant.

Macy0161

I'm hoping the old telly will hold out until there's built in FreeviewHD and FreesatHD, if they're not already out there? That should future proof us for a while...

Willby

cnocbui wrote: »

Agree about Panasonic vs Phillips.

My previous TV was a 29" CRT Phillips. When you turned it off, the image shrank to the centre of the screen till it was a 2cm thin, very bright white flash and there was a noticeable 'crack' noise. This area became a permanent black burn mark after the warranty had expired of course Then the audio section died and to get sound I had to take the output from the headphone socket and run it to an external amp and speakers.

My Panasonic 50" plasma with freesat is just brilliant.

Hi
Does the Panny have an MPEG4 tuner for Irish DTT?
Willby

noodledog

DTT tuner could be an issue... but tbh i'd have to say go with an external tuner! haha. Seriously, there is no machine I can recommend better than a panny.

The LG would be reliable (Philips panel quality without all the buzzwords and junk for circuits.) but it's still an LCD and I can't stress how much better the plasma will be at that side. Panny do a lovely 46" too!

I reckon plasma is gonna be top dog for picture until OLED comes about, mainly because OLED's light distribution will be the same, hopefully.

STB

noodledog wrote: »

DTT tuner could be an issue... but tbh i'd have to say go with an external tuner! haha. Seriously, there is no machine I can recommend better than a panny.

The LG would be reliable (Philips panel quality without all the buzzwords and junk for circuits.) but it's still an LCD and I can't stress how much better the plasma will be at that side. Panny do a lovely 46" too!

I reckon plasma is gonna be top dog for picture until OLED comes about, mainly because OLED's light distribution will be the same, hopefully.

Stay away from Panasonics if you want the DVB-T tuner to work, especially the tuners packaged with the Freesat models. They do not have the full suite of service types defined in the firmware. This is because the TV has been manufactured to the UK Dbook standard. This is a simple firmware fix, but Panasonic support do not want to know and will tell you that the LCD/Plasma is built for the UK market.

The LG LF 7700 range are actually fully compliant with the Irish Spec purely by accident and they are CHEAP.

LCDs with dvb-t tuners are NOT panels and shouldnt be!

winston_1

Panachronic TV's in the UK are crippled to only work properly in the UK, contary to EU rules. This is done to protect the official importers and their rip off prices elsewhere. A UK model will not have VHF tuning in analogue, nor will the MPEG 4 work for Irish DTT.
Not sure why all this anti Philips stuff, I've got 2 a 42" and a 32" and have had no problems. These days most are MPEG 4 capable for Ireland and elsewhere but to be sure make sure it has an H in the model number not a D.
Also don't agree with the "plasma is best" arguement. Plasma might have the edge on fast movement but it is barely noticeble. LCD's are less delicate (a plasma must be transported upright) and use less power and are lighter.
Overall, as has already been said, I would go for an LG 42LF7000 with freesat, UHF/VHF tuning in analogue, and MPEG 4 decoding for Irish DTT.
There are hardly any TV's with DVB-T2 for HD at the moment so I would not worry about that. No doubt in the future you will get HD on your Sky package anyway.

Willby

winston_1 wrote: »

Panachronic TV's in the UK are crippled to only work properly in the UK, contary to EU rules. This is done to protect the official importers and their rip off prices elsewhere. A UK model will not have VHF tuning in analogue, nor will the MPEG 4 work for Irish DTT.
Not sure why all this anti Philips stuff, I've got 2 a 42" and a 32" and have had no problems. These days most are MPEG 4 capable for Ireland and elsewhere but to be sure make sure it has an H in the model number not a D.
Also don't agree with the "plasma is best" arguement. Plasma might have the edge on fast movement but it is barely noticeble. LCD's are less delicate (a plasma must be transported upright) and use less power and are lighter.
Overall, as has already been said, I would go for an LG 42LF7000 with freesat, UHF/VHF tuning in analogue, and MPEG 4 decoding for Irish DTT.
There are hardly any TV's with DVB-T2 for HD at the moment so I would not worry about that. No doubt in the future you will get HD on your Sky package anyway.

Hi Winston/STB,
I am very interseted in the 47" LG model you both recommend but I have already asked ealier in this thread about the quality of picture on the LG versus the Panasonic and got no reply. I have got a 42" Panny plasma and am very pleased with the picture quality but have decided not to purchase a 50" Panny in light of the issues you both raise re Irish DTT which I would like to receive. Any comments on the LG picture quality would be appreciated.
Willby

winston_1

I've always been very happy with LG pictures but at the end of the day it's down to personal preference. Have a look and compare, though I must admit shops are not the best place to do so.

Willby

winston_1 wrote: »

I've always been very happy with LG pictures but at the end of the day it's down to personal preference. Have a look and compare, though I must admit shops are not the best place to do so.

Thanks. I will do soon. Unfortunately my local tv stores dont stock LG so have to wait till next trip to city.

kindalen

have you checked prices on amazon? if you have a uk credit card and address, or use of them... argos are selling the lg 37lf7700 at £399.