LIDL got the message - and now are giving it!

dowtchaboy

LIDL have a 32 inch TV on sale Feb 3rd for €299. What I find interesting is not only does it have Irish DTT (though Saorview not mentioned by name) and MHEG5, they spend a little time explaining MHEG5 and why you need it, EPG etc:

32inch Full HD LCD TV with MPEG4 Tuner

* Experience the future in Digital Terrestrial TV (DTT) with this state of the art Full HD TV with MPEG4 tuner!
* 4 HDMI connections with HDCP decoding for high quality digital video and audio signal playback
* 2 USB 2.0 ports for accessing video & picture files on any memory stick or hard drive
* Receive FREE Irish Standard & HD TV Channels
* With Built-in DVB-T Tuner (MPEG4)
* Receives Digital Teletext and Electronic Programme Guide
* With MHEG5 Capable Receiver
* Technical specifications: TV system: PAL/SECAM/DVB-T (MPEG2/4); Audio: 2 x 6W RMS (Dual Stereo/Nicam); Viewing angle: 178° horizontal/178° vertical; Response time: 8ms; Size (with base): 77.5 x 56.6 x 18.7cm; Weight (with base): 11.8kg; Resolution: 1920 x 1080 pixels; Contrast: 1,400:1; Brightness: 450cd/m²; 16:9 aspect ratio; Ports: 4 x HDML, 2 x Scart, 2 x USB; In: VGA, Aerial, AV, Composite Video; Out: Headphones, Digital audio
* Digital Teletext - Your receiver requires MHEG5 to display Digital Teletext. It provides richer text formatting and supports images. The current channel you are viewing stays on screen while you are browsing teletext.
* Electronic Programme Guide - An EPG is a programme guide embedded in digital broadcasts and viewable on your TV. The EPG holds 7 days of programming information for each channel listed on the EPG. With the EPG you are able to browse your TV channels comfortably, set reminders, schedule to view your favourite programmes and much more. Your TV/Receiver must feature the MGEG5 standard to run the EPG fully.
* Irish Digital Terrestial TV (DTT) - DTT was launched in Ireland in October 2010. All digital Irish standard and HD channels will be available come spring 2011. Service will be extended further over the following months. DTT will completely replace analogue TV in Ireland by 2012. DTT allows for a larger number of channels to be broadcast while using less space compared to analogue. DTT provides excellent video and audio quality. The MPEG4 format allows even HD channels and digital surround sound information to be broadcasted in highest quality. It also provides interactive information services.
* Was €349.99 now €299.99 save €50
* Price per item

watty

Big improvement

Tesco? Aldi? Etc??

Though sells MHEG5 short http://www.saortv.info/about/mheg5/

Argos is very reformed, though it does warn about ASO in 2012 on Page 374, it doesn't on incompatible TVs. See http://www.wattystuff.net/2011/01/argos-greatly-improve-aso-dso-clarity/ Argos Catalogue is clear, but web site was still bad last weekend.

http://www.wattystuff.net/2011/01/money-back-if-it-isnt-a-tv/
Tesco is bad.

Currys are bizarre. http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=70304240&postcount=3

Power City are sort of similar level or slightly better than Argos

STB

Well done to LIDL.

A good price for a TV that even has ci+ (compulsory from 31/12/2012 under Nordig)

Sponge Bob

STB wrote: »

Well done to LIDL.

A good price for a TV that even has ci+ (compulsory from 31/12/2012 under Nordig)

Well done Lidl, what a turnaround from dumping crap on us as late as November 2010.

CI+, forgot that a telly sold in Ireland is not fit for purpose without that any more

watty

That's why the MHEG5 works. CI+ means the TV or setbox does Both kinds of Music.
Country AND Western


MHEG5 and MHP both Mandatory for CI+ certification.

davehey79

Whats the ci+ for and should we be looking for tvs to have it as standard I.e. will it cause problems not having it

Willby

dowtchaboy wrote: »

LIDL have a 32 inch TV on sale Feb 3rd for €299. What I find interesting is not only does it have Irish DTT (though Saorview not mentioned by name) and MHEG5, they spend a little time explaining MHEG5 and why you need it, EPG etc:

Hi,
Do you know if the tuner is DVBT-2 i.e capable of receiving Freeview HD?
Willby

watty

Very unlikely. It's not a "Freeview" TV or "Freeview HD". It's a general European TV (not UK TV) that has MHEG5 because of CI+, not because of any Freeview compatibility.

watty

davehey79 wrote: »

Whats the ci+ for and should we be looking for tvs to have it as standard I.e. will it cause problems not having it

It's for payTV CAMs. Not likely to be ever needed in Ireland.

You can maybe eventually get a CI+ "PVR" interface that uses maybe ethernet for PC or USB for a HDD to add media recording / playback. But a Setbox is likely cheaper solution as a PVR!

dowtchaboy

Willby wrote: »

Hi,
Do you know if the tuner is DVBT-2 i.e capable of receiving Freeview HD?
Willby

I doubt it, as it doesn't specifically say DVB-T2, and it does not seem to be offered for sale in (ahem) "mainland" UK - i.e it's not on the LIDL.co.uk website. But, strangely enough, it IS on offer in Norn Ireland (at £269 so the South is getting a good deal for a change) - with no mention of Freeview yet saying "full HD"! Could mean LIDL in N.I. will have some questions to answer next week!

watty

Not till after 2012! While "freeview HD" is on in I.O.M., Wales and probably parts of Scotland and England, it's not available at all in N.I. till A.S.O., so late 2012 or early 2013 for N.I. HDTV via "Freeview HD".

Also virtually all "freeview" TVs claim to be HD Ready or Full HD. Really they should have been adding disclaimers to those since 2009 when it was decided that HD in UK DTT would never be on DVB-T or MPEG2, but DVB-T2 and MPEG4. Those sets will only do HD via HDMI and external BluRay player, PC/Laptop or Setbox.

hero25

watty wrote: »

Not till after 2012!
Also virtually all "freeview" TVs claim to be HD Ready or Full HD. Really they should have been adding disclaimers to those since 2009 when it was decided that HD in UK DTT would never be on DVB-T or MPEG2, but DVB-T2 and MPEG4. Those sets will only do HD via HDMI and external BluRay player, PC/Laptop or Setbox.

hi, for a non-techy....can somone please clarify re this LIDL TV. I currently have an old bog-standard roof aerial receiving 4x terrestial channels with an old Cathode Ray TV. If I buy this TV (and let's say I get a new aerial on the roof (No Sky box, UPC etc..)) -
A. will i be able to receive RTE1, RTE2, TV3 and TG4 in HD?
or
B. will my only experience of HD be via a BluRay Player/Movie (as suggested above).

brief answers very much appreciated!
tnks

dowtchaboy

hero25 wrote: »

hi, for a non-techy....can somone please clarify re this LIDL TV. I currently have an old bog-standard roof aerial receiving 4x terrestial channels with an old Cathode Ray TV. If I buy this TV (and let's say I get a new aerial on the roof (No Sky box, UPC etc..)) -
A. will i be able to receive RTE1, RTE2, TV3 and TG4 in HD?
or
B. will my only experience of HD be via a BluRay Player/Movie (as suggested above).

brief answers very much appreciated!
tnks

(A) Yes. (B) No.

(that brief enough for you?:) )

You may not even need a new aerial (if your existing one, long and narrow with lots of elements, is picking up TG4 or TV3 anyway) unless you are in one of the awkward places like me where there are low-power fill-in transmitters not all of which are going digital.

However - only RTE2 is transmitting in HD right now, and only some programs. AFAIK this all gets better over the next couple of years.

watty

http://www.saortv.info/channels/

It uses UHF everywhere. So a UHF aerial like used for Regular TV
http://www.techtir.ie/radio-tv/uhf-aerials

Willby

watty wrote: »

Very unlikely. It's not a "Freeview" TV or "Freeview HD". It's a general European TV (not UK TV) that has MHEG5 because of CI+, not because of any Freeview compatibility.

As I suspected, thanks for clarification
Rgds
Willby

hero25

A) Yes. (B) No.


thanks! couldn't be much clearer!

clonadlad

Like hero25 I have a crappy ould telly. We are currently recieving the uk channels through one of them freeview boxes with a satellite ariel which is connected by a scart cable to the old telly. We also have a standard ariel for the Irish channels.

Would this TV do the job for us for upgrading to Saorview and getting the RTE channels in HD, and still keeping the uk freeview aswell?

watty

yes

lucernarian

clonadlad wrote: »

Like hero25 I have a crappy ould telly. We are currently recieving the uk channels through one of them freeview boxes with a satellite ariel which is connected by a scart cable to the old telly. We also have a standard ariel for the Irish channels.

Would this TV do the job for us for upgrading to Saorview and getting the RTE channels in HD, and still keeping the uk freeview aswell?

You'll need a saorview DTT box unless I read that post wrong. If you get a decent TV3 signal you should be grand for picking saorview up otherwise.

watty

He doesn't need a Saorview box if buying the new Digital TV with MPEG4 and MHEG5.
Which can receive Freeview, but not Freeview HD also.

givecredit

clonadlad wrote: »

Like hero25 I have a crappy ould telly. We are currently recieving the uk channels through one of them freeview boxes with a satellite ariel which is connected by a scart cable to the old telly. We also have a standard ariel for the Irish channels.

Looks to me that clonadlad may be receiving his uk channels via freesat or free to air satellite rather than freeview.

But he will still be able to receive these with existing freesat or free to air box with this tv.

reaper180

is this tv worth trying to get,,does it meet all the specs you need and is it value for money?gonna try and get one i think

kierank01

I think I will get one of these.

There is a disucssion about it in the bargin alerts forum, there is some worry about the contrast ratio, but they may not be compairing like with like.

somuj

Well I bought this TV this morning and cant get any digital stations. Can receive the analogues ok.

On my other stupid freeview tv I can still get Electronic program guide listing the irish digital stations and whats on so don't think its anything to do with my aerial.

I even went to argos and bought a digital aerial.

Any suggestions

STB

somuj wrote: »

Well I bought this TV this morning and cant get any digital stations. Can receive the analogues ok.

On my other stupid freeview tv I can still get Electronic program guide listing the irish digital stations and whats on so don't think its anything to do with my aerial.

I even went to argos and bought a digital aerial.

Any suggestions

Where are you ?

somuj

STB wrote: »

Where are you ?

Am in Longford. After getting them all tuned in but I think the signal is very poor in the apartment block where I live as I can only see the picture for a second and then its gone. My friend up the road can receive them ok. Maybe if I got a different aerial. But which one to choose

STB

somuj wrote: »

Am in Longford. After getting them all tuned in but I think the signal is very poor in the apartment block where I live as I can only see the picture for a second and then its gone. My friend up the road can receive them ok. Maybe if I got a different aerial. But which one to choose

Do you not have a communal aerial that is piped into each apartment ?

What aerial were you using on your freeview Tv ? The same indoor aerial that you bought ?

OKay move the indoor aerial over near the window. You may need to get a cable extender

somuj

STB wrote: »

Do you not have a communal aerial that is piped into each apartment ?

What aerial were you using on your freeview Tv ? The same indoor aerial that you bought ?

OKay move the indoor aerial over near the window. You may need to get a cable extender

Only got UPS piped into the building was only using a bog standard €10 aerial on the other tv. Aerial I got this morning was from argos, its a one for all, 45db gain(with tripple interface filters). Have the tv and aerial right in front of the window and still no joy. Think I might go down and exchange it for a different aerial. The whole thing is starting to enrage me now.

watty

Choosing an aerial
http://www.techtir.ie/radio-tv/uhf-aerials

Really only one worthwhile Indoor type:

2nd aerial here http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=60897584&postcount=4

Argos one for all
The 45dB gain is the amplifier, to feed a long cable. Those aerials are rubbish. The actual aerial has almost no gain.

STB

somuj wrote: »

Only got UPS piped into the building was only using a bog standard €10 aerial on the other tv. Aerial I got this morning was from argos, its a one for all, 45db gain(with tripple interface filters). Have the tv and aerial right in front of the window and still no joy. Think I might go down and exchange it for a different aerial. The whole thing is starting to enrage me now.

Get your money back - tell them it doesnt work.

I have tested a lot of indoor aerials, most are crap. Infact ALL argos indoor aerials are rubbish.

What you need is a non powered aerial with a seperate variable booster. I have sucessfully used a One for All SV9021 non powered aerialconnected to a Philex SLX1 Booster (adjustable gain 14db) with a fly lead going back to the TV from the booster. The only thing that gave me a solid indoor signal in an apartment. Make sure the aerial is near the window. You can get a long fly lead in order to leave the aerial and junctioned booster box by the window. Aerial>Booster>aerial lead to Tv.

Since you do not have any other option as you are in an apartment I suggest you get "Philex L24BB Aerial and SLx1 Booster Kit" which is quite similar to what I used as described in the last paragraph and is also cheap. They are a tenner sterling on ebay.co.uk. It WILL work for you.

clonadlad

I got the tele this morning and I can't get any of the digital channels.
I have the aerial plugged in and can get the bog channels on analogue but no Saorview.
I've done all the searches and still no luck. Can anyone help please?

somuj

clonadlad wrote: »

I got the tele this morning and I can't get any of the digital channels.
I have the aerial plugged in and can get the bog channels on analogue but no Saorview.
I've done all the searches and still no luck. Can anyone help please?

I couldnt get mine to recieve the digital signals either. Finally got it to work last night tho. Brought it to my friends house(he lives on the top of a block of flats) and had a good signal and different brand of TV I might add and plugged his aerial in and scanned for the stations and got them all. Brought the TV back to my place and plugged in my €10 aerial and its working fine now.