Flat screen Tellies.

07-02-2016 02:11PM

mrcheez wrote: »

Cheers for this, I've seen several different calibration settings for this TV (I bought the 55" this month) and are these the best?

Gotta say I'm blown away by this compared to my "old" 37" Samsung that I bought in 2011.

Loving the 3D. Even 2D to 3D is suprisingly effective.

Watched Gravity and Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug yesterday in 3D BluRay and I don't understand why they are not making 3D TVs any longer. It's truly like being at the cinema.

I still have an old "2011" Samsung in the sitting room, the difference with the newer TV in my room is incredible...

The settings above for movie settings I found great....

I haven't even taken the 3D glasses out of the boxes to be honest, never watched a 3D Bluray on it.....

Mainly play PS4 on it and find it great for that, I usually stick on game mode when doing that...

My only bugbear is the software, its prone to shîtting itself the odd time...

galljga1 · 07-02-2016 02:18PM

Fieldog wrote: »

I still have an old "2011" Samsung in the sitting room, the difference with the newer TV in my room is incredible...

The settings above for movie settings I found great....

I haven't even taken the 3D glasses out of the boxes to be honest, never watched a 3D Bluray on it.....

Mainly play PS4 on it and find it great for that, I usually stick on game mode when doing that...

My only bugbear is the software, its prone to shîtting itself the odd time...

It's a bit strange to see 'old' and '2011' used to describe something.
My new 2010 tv is still hard to beat.
The reason I am following this thread is that my old 1999 tv has died.

07-02-2016 02:28PM

galljga1 wrote: »

It's a bit strange to see 'old' and '2011' used to describe something.
My new 2010 tv is still hard to beat.
The reason I am following this thread is that my old 1999 tv has died.

Funny you say that - the "old" 2011 TV was/is perfect....

Cost 420 in 2011, hasn't skipped a beat, LCD and not a pixel gone in it, its not a smart TV but you can plug a HDD in with films...

The one in my room was a 32" 720p Samsung TV from 2005, back then it cost 1300 quid!

Still going great, its now relegated to the kitchen TV for the kids PC...

The "Smart" one in my room I think is LED, I got in June for 450 off Adverts, it was my birthday and I was treating myself to glorious 1080p in my bedroom...

Capt'n Midnight · 07-02-2016 02:55PM

Mesrine65 wrote: »

Concave screens are where it's at OP

just a fad. no use for a family since viewing angle sucks. ok if you are sitting at the focal point of the the curve, but a test showed that even that looses it's appeal over a flat screen after a few hours

rollup screens have been demonstrated so only a matter of time before you have designer curves

just get some VR google like occulus rift or whatnot , big as screen as you like

Calibos · 07-02-2016 02:56PM

3DTV is only 'Meh' at TV screen sizes. At 120" diagonal on a home projector it's :eek: !! Projector bulb lifetimes are up and cost is down these days as well. My current 1080p Uber bright 3D Epson cost €700, the bulb lasts 7000 hours and a replacement bulb costs about €80. A few years ago the average life of a bulb was indeed about 3000 hours and they cost about €300.

I'm still rocking 3 Panasonic 720p Plasmas from 2006. No burn in, no ghosting, no problems and because it's gradual no noticeable decrease in Brightness, though technically they are supposed to have a half life of 20000 hours which means they should be half as bright as new by now. Still plenty bright for us.

That said I'll be replacing them all in the next year or so with LEDs in the bedrooms and kitchen. Although they are poorer than Plasma they have improved a lot and the price is tiny these days. I'll be building 3 beds with integrated tv lifts in the foot boards and where a 40kg Old plasma requires an expensive tv lift, with the 12kg LEDs in the same screen size I can build a cheap DIY motorised scissors lift and drawer runner solution. However ,the Livingroom Plasma will be replaced with a 50-60" OLED when these get down closer to €1000.

pegasus1 · 07-02-2016 03:10PM

mrcheez wrote: »

The bigger question is why don't TV manufacturers set up their TVs with the correct calibration in the first place

If you want to be a purist...no screen is exactly the same as the next with the same model...and over time the picture degrades too....

My tv is calibrated 5ish year old panasonic led..right before panasonic stopped making the screens...

galljga1 · 07-02-2016 03:14PM

Calibos wrote: »

3DTV is only 'Meh' at TV screen sizes. At 120" diagonal on a home projector it's :eek: !! Projector bulb lifetimes are up and cost is down these days as well. My current 1080p Uber bright 3D Epson cost €700, the bulb lasts 7000 hours and a replacement bulb costs about €80. A few years ago the average life of a bulb was indeed about 3000 hours and they cost about €300.

I'm still rocking 3 Panasonic 720p Plasmas from 2006. No burn in, no ghosting, no problems and because it's gradual no noticeable decrease in Brightness, though technically they are supposed to have a half life of 20000 hours which means they should be half as bright as new by now. Still plenty bright for us.

That said I'll be replacing them all in the next year or so with LEDs in the bedrooms and kitchen. Although they are poorer than Plasma they have improved a lot and the price is tiny these days. I'll be building 3 beds with integrated tv lifts in the foot boards and where a 40kg Old plasma requires an expensive tv lift, with the 12kg LEDs in the same screen size I can build a cheap DIY motorised scissors lift and drawer runner solution. However ,the Livingroom Plasma will be replaced with a 50-60" OLED when these get down closer to €1000.

I was always tempted to install a hide away drop down projector screen. I still might but probably won't. Re the tv lifts at the foot of the bed, this may not be a very comfortable viewing set up. Stick a screen on a stand in the position in which it will be for a week or two and see if you like it. I had one low down at one stage and ended up building an alcove into a wall in a much higher position. Much more comfortable although now ten years later the auld eyes are fading a bit. I think I need to go bigger as the telly is 16 feet away.

timthumbni · 07-02-2016 03:18PM

Calibos wrote: »

3DTV is only 'Meh' at TV screen sizes. At 120" diagonal on a home projector it's :eek: !! Projector bulb lifetimes are up and cost is down these days as well. My current 1080p Uber bright 3D Epson cost €700, the bulb lasts 7000 hours and a replacement bulb costs about €80. A few years ago the average life of a bulb was indeed about 3000 hours and they cost about €300.

I'm still rocking 3 Panasonic 720p Plasmas from 2006. No burn in, no ghosting, no problems and because it's gradual no noticeable decrease in Brightness, though technically they are supposed to have a half life of 20000 hours which means they should be half as bright as new by now. Still plenty bright for us.

That said I'll be replacing them all in the next year or so with LEDs in the bedrooms and kitchen. Although they are poorer than Plasma they have improved a lot and the price is tiny these days. I'll be building 3 beds with integrated tv lifts in the foot boards and where a 40kg Old plasma requires an expensive tv lift, with the 12kg LEDs in the same screen size I can build a cheap DIY motorised scissors lift and drawer runner solution. However ,the Livingroom Plasma will be replaced with a 50-60" OLED when these get down closer to €1000.

What would the projector screen be like for gaming. I fancy a bit of mariokart wii u on a bloody great big 10 foot screen.

mrcheez · 07-02-2016 06:34PM

Calibos wrote: »

3DTV is only 'Meh' at TV screen sizes. At 120" diagonal on a home projector it's :eek: !!

I'd imagine. The best 3D experience I got was sitting about 1.5m in front of the screen, rather than the usual 4m I use for regular viewing.

At 4m the 3D was OK but not quite the cinema effect I was getting at 1.5m

Still very surprised at how much better the 3D on the Samsung 6400 is than watching 3D in an IMAX cinema (which typically give me headaches).

Next up is Dredd 3D tonight.

Calibos · 07-02-2016 08:18PM

galljga1 wrote: »

I was always tempted to install a hide away drop down projector screen. I still might but probably won't. Re the tv lifts at the foot of the bed, this may not be a very comfortable viewing set up. Stick a screen on a stand in the position in which it will be for a week or two and see if you like it. I had one low down at one stage and ended up building an alcove into a wall in a much higher position. Much more comfortable although now ten years later the auld eyes are fading a bit. I think I need to go bigger as the telly is 16 feet away.

Had a cheap 40" LCD permanently bolted to the top of a bookcase at the foot of a bed for a while. Initially had it on a storage chest level with the mattress and you are quite right, it was uncomfortable viewing. The bookcase put it about 10 inches above the mattress level such that my piggy toes

in bed were just below the bottom of the screen. This proved to be a perfect height. Of course a great big dirty cheap LCD permanently mounted at the end of the bed was aesthetically nasty and I removed it after a few months but I knew that when I got a chance I would build some beds or footboards at the very least with a nice thin light LED LCD built inside on a tv lift where I get to enjoy the big screen in bed but where it disappears when not in use.

timthumbni wrote: »

What would the projector screen be like for gaming. I fancy a bit of mariokart wii u on a bloody great big 10 foot screen.

I don't even use a screen. I just project on a magnolia painted wall and it still looks fabulous.

colossus-x · 08-02-2016 08:59PM

sonofenoch wrote: »

Not a fan of these new fangled color tv's .....unless I'm watching Ray Reardon on pot black

I recall watching snooker on the black and white portable. Telling the brown from the red was the most difficulty.

Capt'n Midnight · 08-02-2016 10:17PM

colossus-x wrote: »

I recall watching snooker on the black and white portable. Telling the brown from the red was the most difficulty.

This led to the infamously unhelpful quote from commentator Ted Lowe, who said: "Steve is going for the pink ball - and for those of you who are watching in black and white, the pink is next to the green."

griffdaddy · 08-02-2016 10:28PM

It really is all about projectors these days. You can get an optoma hd141x or equivalent Epson for about 400 quid these days, both of which look incredible and easily beat most tvs. The response times for gaming seem great too

byte · 09-02-2016 12:56AM

Masala wrote: »

Same here..... Love my Panasonic 42 inch!!!! Mine over 6 yrs now. Paid close to €900 at time with 5 yr warranty. Wonder what my options 'if' it ever gives up on me!!!

+1 to that!

I still have my aging 1080p Panny TH42PY70, I guess it's around 7 years old now.

Picture is still damn fantastic on it. Well worth the maximum 486W it draws on power

(it does keep the room warm as a side effect, with 4 fans keeping it cool :eek:)

I struggle to see any LCD TV that has the same PQ, some come close.

I do recall really wanting a Pioneer Kuro, but they were much more expensive. I'd still buy one now though!

galljga1 · 09-02-2016 07:55AM

byte wrote: »

+1 to that!

I still have my aging 1080p Panny TH42PY70, I guess it's around 7 years old now.

Picture is still damn fantastic on it. Well worth the maximum 486W it draws on power (it does keep the room warm as a side effect, with 4 fans keeping it cool :eek:)

I struggle to see any LCD TV that has the same PQ, some come close.

I do recall really wanting a Pioneer Kuro, but they were much more expensive. I'd still buy one now though!

Yeah the legendary Kuro. I couldn't afford it at the time. When I could, it was gone. I ended up buying a Panasonic TX-P50V20. Smart features are rubbish, sorted by Apple TV. Sound is mediocre, sorted by home theatre package. No 3D as I do not particularly like it. Picture (which is the reason I bought it) was and still is unbeatable IMHO.

Discodog · 09-02-2016 10:48AM

I went from a Sony Trinitron crt to a cheap 32 inch Bush Panel - thanks to Bargain Alerts. At first I was horrified at the picture & ready to take it back. After some googling & tweaking it's surprisingly good.

crosstownk · 09-02-2016 11:45AM

I've a 15 year old 50" Pioneer plasma. It has over 25,000 hours on it. The picture is excellent and, to me, a lot more natural than an LCD. It upscales 720p to 1125 and back down again to 768 as it's really a 1280x768 monitor.

The Pioneer is starting to develop a green hue near the top of the screen when it gets warm (despite both fans running) so maybe it's days are numbered but I'll try and get as much life out of it as I can.

I've no idea what I'll replace it with now that plasma is dead and buried.

I'm not a fan of the cold, harshness of LCD.

mrcheez · 09-02-2016 12:23PM

griffdaddy wrote: »

It really is all about projectors these days.

It depends on the room though surely?

For example my room wouldn't suit a projector as the couch sits against one wall and the TV sits against the other, then the space between has to be clear for access to the garden/kitchen etc.

Ceiling is too low for a projector to not be in the way.

TV looks neater plus you can get up close to see small details without obstructing the projection.

Duggy747 · 09-02-2016 12:41PM

Love me 42'' Panasonic plasma. Have a PC hooked up to it and it's essentially a monitor for watching stuff, browsing and gaming. Have Windows configured in bits and pieces to minimise burn-ins but I've honestly never experienced any notable ones on this TV. Very slight ones that appeared wouldn't last longer than 30 seconds which only happens if an image was static for a long time on it, mostly happens when I'm doing some video editing on it.

If it died today I'd be satisfied with it's lifespan, has served me well throughout the years and nature documentaries just look amazing on it.

Would love to get a projector but there's nowhere in the current house that's suitable for one, definitely on the cards for the future though.

Also have a little CRT upstairs with a Raspberry Pi plugged into it and running a Kodi / EmulationStation setup so that still gets some love :pac:

ScumLord · 09-02-2016 02:15PM

Duggy747 wrote: »

Would love to get a projector but there's nowhere in the current house that's suitable for one, definitely on the cards for the future though.

Projectors aren't all they're cracked up to be. They're high maintenance and not practical in a lot of situations. Many people may say they can see their projector in rooms that aren't completely dark and it's true, you can basically make out the image but it's not really satisfactory.

Bulbs last 3 years, a bit more or less depending on use. So you do have to think about whether your video is worthy of being viewed on the big screen. And that kind of discounts even attempting to watch stuff during the day because your spending money and the viewing experience is worse than your monitor.

I found that while you can have lights on, any light source degrades the image quality, even if lay people may come in and think it's brilliant over time all these kind of things start to stand out and become annoying niggles.

All that means a projector isn't going to make a good display, you can't run it whenever you want, you basically have to wait for dark before you can watch anything on it, and the light degrades over time, so the image quality gets worse towards the end of the bulbs lifespan.

When everything is right, they can be brilliant. I was surprised that even low quality stuff from the internet, and I mean low as in 480, looked fine on the big screen.

Wibbs · 09-02-2016 02:41PM

ScumLord wrote: »

Projectors aren't all they're cracked up to be.

That would be my take too SL. I'm glad I'm not the only one.

A mate of mine has a fancy setup hanging from the ceiling and he knows his stuff when it comes to setup and yes it's like the cinema experience but like the cinema it needs the dark and it's just not as bright as a TV of any kind. Naturally as it's a reflected image as opposed to a emitted(?) one. The all in projector tellies are better alright, but for me behind even LCD's. They're also more of an "event" type experience, not a flicking through channels half watching in the corner of a room telly.

mrcheez · 09-02-2016 02:50PM

ScumLord wrote: »

- Bulbs last 3 years, a bit more or less depending on use.

- I found that while you can have lights on, any light source degrades the image quality

- you can't run it whenever you want, you basically have to wait for dark before you can watch anything on it

- the light degrades over time, so the image quality gets worse towards the end of the bulbs lifespan.

That's pretty bad. I can't see many pluses for these apart from the wider screen for perhaps a cheaper initial outlay, but it sounds extremely high-maintenance and fussy.

Sticking with my TV until VR headsets take over in a few years, and then you'll have a screen as big as you like

listermint · 09-02-2016 02:55PM

Well long and short of it is most Plasma TV models (i loved mine) used about 8 times the power of the average LED tv. So it hurts both your pocket and energy consumption.

Is it worth it ? i dont know each to their own i suppose.

Cantona's Collars · 09-02-2016 04:11PM

Have an LED in one room and an older LCD in another,the picture on the older tv is better.

I set up a HD box for a buddy recently,he had everything connected to his tv via basic RF cables and I had to adjust all the picture settings as the HDMI from the box showed up how bad the original picture was in comparison,too bright,washed out and generally rubbish.It's a great tv that he has and despite having it for 6 odd years,only now is he seeing it at it's best.

ScumLord · 09-02-2016 04:14PM

Wibbs wrote: »

like the cinema it needs the dark and it's just not as bright as a TV of any kind. Naturally as it's a reflected image as opposed to a emitted(?) one.

Other than it needing ideal conditions I'd rate the screen brightness as a plus. It's very easy on the eyes. It would be quite easy to fall asleep in front of, only that's the last thing you'd want to do because of bulb life.

mrcheez wrote: »

That's pretty bad. I can't see many pluses for these apart from the wider screen for perhaps a cheaper initial outlay, but it sounds extremely high-maintenance and fussy.

Good things usually are high maintenance. Projectors aren't a replacement for a TV of any kind. They're a special occasion type set. The big screen does make a difference. It's great for having friends around and when it comes to events like a UFC fight it really can't be beat. So anyone considering getting one should bare in mind they could really do with their own specialised room, and it's not going to replace your normal living room TV set.

If you have the room and budget for a "good TV" (so to speak), you'd probably be delighted with it. If you expect it to replace your day to day TV, it will lead to frustration.

galljga1 · 13-02-2016 08:02AM

Right, I have just bought a 48 inch LCD (Sony KDL48W705CBU) to replace my big ar$ed 29 inch Sony Trinitron which died.

On the plus side, it is bigger (the auld eyes are not getting any better), it has Netflix, which is probably the only "smart" feature that will be used in that room. That means two less boxes and associated cables although I might attach a Chromecast or Apple TV.

On the negative side, it is a bit garish, the colours are "in your face", the blacks are a bit gray and pixelated. I have messed around with the settings a bit and will some more. Motion blur in action scenes is obvious but not the worst I have seen.

Overall, not a patch on my plasma tv but it was one third the price. For me it is a stop gap until OLED and 4K become mainstream and fully standardised, particularly OLED, not to worried about 4K for this size TV as it probably will not make a difference for the distance from which I view the screen

mrcheez · 14-02-2016 04:12PM

galljga1 wrote: »

Right, I have just bought a 48 inch LCD (Sony KDL48W705CBU) to replace my big ar$ed 29 inch Sony Trinitron which died.

On the plus side, it is bigger (the auld eyes are not getting any better), it has Netflix, which is probably the only "smart" feature that will be used in that room. That means two less boxes and associated cables although I might attach a Chromecast or Apple TV.

On the negative side, it is a bit garish, the colours are "in your face", the blacks are a bit gray and pixelated. I have messed around with the settings a bit and will some more. Motion blur in action scenes is obvious but not the worst I have seen.

Overall, not a patch on my plasma tv but it was one third the price. For me it is a stop gap until OLED and 4K become mainstream and fully standardised, particularly OLED, not to worried about 4K for this size TV as it probably will not make a difference for the distance from which I view the screen

perhaps try the calibration settings in the Comments section of http://www.hdtvtest.co.uk/news/kdl42w705b-201402233639.htm

one there added by "George" at the end