Sony Bravia 40" Freeview HD TV Makro around £400 any good?

reboot

Makro mail next Wed ,Sony Bravia Full HD,LCD,40" with Freeview HD.
Thinking of using it for Isle of Mann HD transmissions and possibly RTE Carlinford,worth a Punt? or £400 Sterling?
TV will live in South Down.

it's a very good price

reboot

Deleted User wrote: »

it's a very good price

Am I right in thinking this set will only receive UK Freeview HD ,and not RTE HD,as it has an MPeg tuner?

reboot

reboot wrote: »

Am I right in thinking this set will only receive UK Freeview HD ,and not RTE HD,as it has an MPeg tuner?

Sony Freeview HD 1080p LCD TV KDL 40 EX 403 .
Resolution 1920x1080 pixels
Bravia Engine 3
Bravia Internet Video
HDMI Ports 4
WI FI ready
Ref 349573 £349.99 + Vat @ 20% Total £420?

STB

reboot wrote: »

Makro mail next Wed ,Sony Bravia Full HD,LCD,40" with Freeview HD.
Thinking of using it for Isle of Mann HD transmissions and possibly RTE Carlinford,worth a Punt? or £400 Sterling?
TV will live in South Down.

What is RTE Carlingford ?

DVB-T2 (Freeview HD) will display DVB-T MPEG4 HD (Saorview) and the Freeview SD stations (MPEG2 SD). YOu may have to fiddle with the LCN channel numbering for the Irish stations, but thats no biggie.

Yes its a very good price for the 403 (the 401 is normally that price) About £150 below what i have seen them for.

EdmondShiels3

I bought the sony 40ex503 it is the same tv but just 100hz and the irish channels work on it very well. it has a tv guide for then and gives seven days. The only thing you can only see program information for the now and next program but all programs are listed in the guide. it displays the new text service as well.

reboot

reboot wrote: »

Sony Freeview HD 1080p LCD TV KDL 40 EX 403 .
Resolution 1920x1080 pixels
Bravia Engine 3
Bravia Internet Video
HDMI Ports 4
WI FI ready
Ref 349573 £349.99 + Vat @ 20% Total £420?

Thats the tv I have.
It displays rte2 hd perfectly.
I receive freeview from presely and have bbc1hd on 1,itv1hd on 3 and have rte 1,2,tv3 on 6,7 and 8.
Its a good set.

reboot

STB wrote: »

What is RTE Carlingford ?

DVB-T2 (Freeview HD) will display DVB-T MPEG4 HD (Saorview) and the Freeview SD stations (MPEG2 SD). YOu may have to fiddle with the LCN channel numbering for the Irish stations, but thats no biggie.

Yes its a very good price for the 403 (the 401 is normally that price) About £150 below what i have seen them for.

Thanks for the info,sorry for the RTE Carlingford,I think it was short hand for the Cairn and where to point an aerial.
I thought I understood the Mpeg 2 and Mpeg 4,but not so sure anymore.Gues I will soon know when I buy the TV and plug and play.
Can't wait for holograms again,and that cat's whisker thing.

The Cush

reboot wrote: »

I thought I understood the Mpeg 2 and Mpeg 4,but not so sure anymore.Gues I will soon know when I buy the TV and plug and play.
Can't wait for holograms again,and that cat's whisker thing.

Freeview (SD) = DVB-T/MPEG-2
Freeview-HD = DVB-T2/MPEG-4
Saorview (SD & HD) = DVB-T/MPEG-4

DVB-T2 (freeview-HD) is backwards compatible with DVB-T and is MPEG-4 by default and so should have no problem with Saorview.

reboot

The Cush wrote: »

Freeview (SD) = DVB-T/MPEG-2
Freeview-HD = DVB-T2/MPEG-4
Saorview (SD & HD) = DVB-T/MPEG-4

DVB-T2 (freeview-HD) is backwards compatible with DVB-T and is MPEG-4 by default and so should have no problem with Saorview.

Many thanks for that concise and helpful reply.
I meant to include "Mpeg 2 " in my original post.
The confusion arose when I asked a friend to look up the tech spec for this TV,and the only information on the Sony spec was "Tuner Mpeg 2"
I am advising a friend to buy this set and I wanted to be sure of my facts ,before she spends that kind of money.
Thanks again,and I wasn't even moderated on,well not so far.

reboot

reboot wrote: »

Many thanks for that concise and helpful reply.
I meant to include "Mpeg 2 " in my original post.
The confusion arose when I asked a friend to look up the tech spec for this TV,and the only information on the Sony spec was "Tuner Mpeg 2"
I am advising a friend to buy this set and I wanted to be sure of my facts ,before she spends that kind of money.
Thanks again,and I wasn't even moderated on,well not so far.

Did you not read my post? where I said I have RTE-to clarify saorview working on this tv?
To clarify further,the epg has all the freeview channels,freeviewhd channels and saorview and you can go into the tuning menu and sort the channels onto any number you want.
For example,it will intitially put saorview in the 800's.
You can go into the menu system and put RTE 1 on number one etc if you want and have bbc ,itv film four etc on higher numbers beyond that.

mollser

Hi Blackbriar,

I notice Power City are selling the 32" version of this for €449 (pretty good price I think) - have you had any success in getting RTE Player to work on this tele? I note that the UK guys can use BBC Player etc, and given that rte player is available on the ps3 have they rolled it out to the tele's?

Thanks

Shirleysrumbler

I wouldn't take Power City at their word. I am in dispute with them at present re. a 40" Sony branded HD in December 2009. The TV was an Mpeg 2. They've thrown me over and back between themselves and Sony Ireland arguing technical data on spec etc. An MPEG 2 tuner can't be HD but they sold this TV as HD and they're arguing that the HD feature was for Blueray, gaming etc.apparenly even aldi and Lidl are replacing their MPEG 2s .Don't go near Power City theyr'e not to be trusted. The sad thing about Sony Ireland is that the TV is still branded Full HD on their web site. This TV was dumped in Ireland as it was obselete even in UK. Retailers are fobbing off this stuff on us.

STB

Shirleysrumbler wrote: »

. An MPEG 2 tuner can't be HD but they sold this TV as HD

I am sorry to be the bearer of bad news but that statement is just nonsense.

HD can exist via MPEG2 which is just a codec, lossy as it may be.

If you bought it with the expectation of receiving DTT and someone from the shop told you as much then fair enough, otherwise......

reboot

Deleted User wrote: »

Did you not read my post? where I said I have RTE-to clarify saorview working on this tv?
To clarify further,the epg has all the freeview channels,freeviewhd channels and saorview and you can go into the tuning menu and sort the channels onto any number you want.
For example,it will intitially put saorview in the 800's.
You can go into the menu system and put RTE 1 on number one etc if you want and have bbc ,itv film four etc on higher numbers beyond that.

Thanks again for that info,if I could back up slightly and explain where I am at .
Got the Bravia Tuesday although it was not officially on sale until Wed.
Very different tele to the previous Bravias I have set up.,but perhaps all the better for that.
I could do with information on the following.
RTE Cairn Aerial Group (Colour),Same for Isle of Mann,Hoping to diplex both .I assume if digital tuning finds the channels the set will display HD automatically.Would settle for that in the Mountains of Mourne where BBC radio 4 FM is impossible to receive,even after paying £145 licence fee!

championc

EdmondShiels3 wrote: »

I bought the sony 40ex503 it is the same tv but just 100hz and the irish channels work on it very well. it has a tv guide for then and gives seven days. The only thing you can only see program information for the now and next program but all programs are listed in the guide. it displays the new text service as well.

Not sure if i've got this correct but sounds like you set this up selecting Ireland. If you setup the TV as UK, you would then get access to the full MHEG5 system which will be the full EPG and Digital Text.

OK, so Irish channels will possibly end up in the 800's but many sets allow for these channels to be manually re-numbered.

reboot

Deleted User wrote: »

Thats the tv I have.
It displays rte2 hd perfectly.
I receive freeview from presely and have bbc1hd on 1,itv1hd on 3 and have rte 1,2,tv3 on 6,7 and 8.
Its a good set.

Have read that RTE HD is on CH 53 v,out of Clearmont Carn Aerial group c/d is this correct? Any details of IOM HD channel?
Does this Sony 40EX 403 stay in standby unless you pull the plug?

The Cush

EdmondShiels3 wrote: »

I bought the sony 40ex503 it is the same tv but just 100hz and the irish channels work on it very well. it has a tv guide for then and gives seven days. The only thing you can only see program information for the now and next program but all programs are listed in the guide. it displays the new text service as well.

championc wrote: »

Not sure if i've got this correct but sounds like you set this up selecting Ireland. If you setup the TV as UK, you would then get access to the full MHEG5 system which will be the full EPG and Digital Text.

OK, so Irish channels will possibly end up in the 800's but many sets allow for these channels to be manually re-numbered.

The epg doesn't use MHEG-5 so changing country to UK will have no effect.

My 2 Sonys work this way too, programme info for now and next only. I don't know if this is a bug or not, haven't checked with any other compatible or certified TV.

I've been using one of the the TVs for DTT since Mar 2009 and haven't noticed this before so not a problem for me in any case.

reboot

The Cush wrote: »

The epg doesn't use MHEG-5 so changing country to UK will have no effect.

My 2 Sonys work this way too, programme info for now and next only. I don't know if this is a bug or not, haven't checked with any other compatible or certified TV.

I've been using one of the the TVs for DTT since Mar 2009 and haven't noticed this before so not a problem for me in any case.

Strange goings on!
I set the 403 Bravia to UK install.
Then did a digital search on Clermont Carn. RTE channels all appeared on Channel 54 and appeared to be standard def only and 4.3 in some cases.
Some technical info appeared on the channel,re DTT from RTE.
When I now try to tune the digital menu, the programme guide info scrolls,but will not permit me to tune any channels in,ie will not go to the little digital box?
How to sort this ,and how to get back to original install menu and select Ireland if that is one solution?
God help Joe Public if he gets into what appears to be a fairly complicated computer, which has a tv screen attached,and software problems.
Isle of Mann seems to be giving nice pictures but ,still can't tune any channels or get back to Digital box?Hope some of this makes sense.

watty

Channel 54?


http://www.techtir.ie/tv-radio/Irish-DTT-Sites
53 is Clermont Carn.

go here and type Dundalk http://coverage.rtenl.ie/index.php

SITE INFORMATION

Site: CLERMONT CARN

Site On-Air:Yes
Channel: 53

Also http://maps.techtir.com/dtt-north-east.htm


Analogue RTE1 is 52 Vertical on that mast.

reboot

watty wrote: »

Channel 54?


http://www.techtir.ie/tv-radio/Irish-DTT-Sites
53 is Clermont Carn.

go here and type Dundalk http://coverage.rtenl.ie/index.php




Also http://maps.techtir.com/dtt-north-east.htm


Analogue RTE1 is 52 Vertical on that mast.

Thank you for that, and I had seen you had posted that info elsewhere.
I am obviously picking up an RTE signal on ch 54 from somewhere ,but not the Carn.The older Bravia also displayed ch 54,and when this new set was installed a few days ago it also displayed RTE signals on 54 and nowhere else.
The person at I am trying to set this up for lives high above Annalong,with a clear view south and west.At no time am I looking at analogue.
Thanks again ,maybe it really is 53 but displaying it as 54?

watty

Kippure and Three Rock are SFN (Single Frequency Network) on Ch54

chalkitdown

I have the 40in 403 and find it to be a very good set. It works perfectly with Irish digital.

The only caveat is that the sound quality is not great, I would definitely factor in a 2.1 or better sound system to go with it.

reboot

reboot wrote: »

Strange goings on!
I set the 403 Bravia to UK install.
Then did a digital search on Clermont Carn. RTE channels all appeared on Channel 54 and appeared to be standard def only and 4.3 in some cases.
Some technical info appeared on the channel,re DTT from RTE.
When I now try to tune the digital menu, the programme guide info scrolls,but will not permit me to tune any channels in,ie will not go to the little digital box?
How to sort this ,and how to get back to original install menu and select Ireland if that is one solution?
God help Joe Public if he gets into what appears to be a fairly complicated computer, which has a tv screen attached,and software problems.
Isle of Mann seems to be giving nice pictures but ,still can't tune any channels or get back to Digital box?Hope some of this makes sense.

Sorted!
My fault although i manual menu is a little confusing and contra indicated in parts.Digital tuning re instated and BBC HD Wales,and RTE found on CH 54 Hor. group c/d,amp gain had to be reduced,but happy with progress so far Bravia 40EX 403 a good buy.