37" lcd suggestions

-Al-

I'm getting burned out looking at new tvs but think i've settled on a 37" 1080p (most likely a Samsung) but haven't decided which particular model yet.

I'm looking for something with 3 or more hdmi connectors, full hd, mpeg4 tuner and a 5.1 optical out.

Am I right in thinking that if I have my media center/ps3/360 connected via hdmi and then connect my tv to my 5.1 sound system using optical then (presuming the tv outputs 5.1) it will carry the sound from any of these devices?

I'm not looking to break the bank with 600 being my max budget. Most Uk places dont seem to ship to Ireland and most Irish places seem to be older models. Anyone have any good model/shop suggestions?

Thanks

Zonda999

Akaik, in doing this you wont get 5.1 out from the tv, to get 5.1 from the xbox360 for example, you'd have to get to connect it directly to the 5.1 system, by digital optical. I dont think the 360 outputs 5.1 sound through hdmi at all for that matter, only optical. That was the case a couple of years ago anyway, may have changed with the newer models though. With the ps3 you could do the same with the other option of hdmi straight to the amplifier and then on to the tv


Oh and many would tell you to get a 40" samsung rather than a 37", the reason being that samsung dont make their own 37" panels, so they get cheaper one's from AUO, a 40" samsung may still havehave an AUO panel but the likelyhood is much higher that you'll get a better samsung panel. From looking at you're needs, the 5 series or 6 series models would do your needs, you can get a 40C530 in most paces here for about 570€ which is a lot of tv for the money really. It would have 3 hdmi connections as well everything else you mention above. If you then look at that 40C530 compared to the 40C580 that would be more common across the water, then the differences are minute from an Irish point of view, the 40C580 just has a Freeview HD tuner and 4 hdmi connections rather than 3. That freeview hd tuner is pretty much useless over here over the one in the C530

-Al-

I did actually come across a forum post about samsung screens but to be honest the guy who wrote it should be an investigator it was massive, i just couldn't read through it. That is interesting though.

Those were the models that kept coming up and had very good reviews. I presume the 40C530 has an mpeg4 tuner which would be compatible with irish dtv?

Thats a pain in the whole about the sound, I was hoping to go for as clean a setup as possible. I suppose I could invest in an optical switch though.

Thanks for the info.

Zonda999

Yep, the the 40C530 would definitely have a mpeg4 dtt tuner alright

I know its a bummer about the sounds but to be fair, i'm not sure any tvs output 5.1

-Al-

Zonda999 wrote: »

Yep, the the 40C530 would definitely have a mpeg4 dtt tuner alright

I know its a bummer about the sounds but to be fair, i'm not sure any tvs output 5.1

I thought I spotted one that had 5.1 digital output but the rest of the specs didn't suit me so I ignored it, I just assumed newer tvs were supporting this now. (Last TV I bought was a LG 50" plasma in 2007)

-Al-

Just wanted to say that I picked up the 40c530, fantastic tv.

Regarding the sound, the manual says that if receiving a digital signal it will output 5.1 through the optical, but if you have a device connected via hdmi it will only output 2 channel.

Anyway, thanks again for the info zonda.

JJDoherty

-Al- wrote: »

Just wanted to say that I picked up the 40c530, fantastic tv.

Regarding the sound, the manual says that if receiving a digital signal it will output 5.1 through the optical, but if you have a device connected via hdmi it will only output 2 channel.

Anyway, thanks again for the info zonda.

Hi there, hope you don't mind me asking but could you post where you bought your TV and for how much? Would be useful to know.

Thanks.

Zonda999

-Al- wrote: »

Just wanted to say that I picked up the 40c530, fantastic tv.

Regarding the sound, the manual says that if receiving a digital signal it will output 5.1 through the optical, but if you have a device connected via hdmi it will only output 2 channel.

Anyway, thanks again for the info zonda.

Thats good to hear Al

Best of luck with it!

JJ, the standard price for this seems to be about 570-600€, haven't seen it cheaper anywhere to be honest, even online. During a sale you might hope to get iy for closer to €500

-Al-

JJDoherty wrote: »

Hi there, hope you don't mind me asking but could you post where you bought your TV and for how much? Would be useful to know.

Thanks.

Got it in Currys in Sligo for 599, down from 630. You can get it cheaper online about 570-590 as Zonda said, but I got impatient and didn't want to wait for delivery last week

JJDoherty

Ah right, fair enough. Thanks for that...