I understand that there are only a handful of manufacturers of LCD panels
and there are probably some "processors" that are better than others. I
don't want to make a purchase decision based on the name on the TV as I
don't believe it tells a full story as a lot a re-branding and badge
engineering goes on.

If I am shopping for a 37" TV then what should I be objectively looking for
(and avoiding to be a little bit future proof)? I guess LED illumination and
a good contrast ratio are good for starters - but any technology that offers
a real advantage that I may find in looking at the specs?

Anyone geeky enough to table some ideas?

(I am old enough to remember the days of a British TV industry - when many
makers would all use the same chassis design and tube)

On 30/11/10 12:37, John wrote:
I understand that there are only a handful of manufacturers of LCD panels
and there are probably some "processors" that are better than others. I
don't want to make a purchase decision based on the name on the TV as I
don't believe it tells a full story as a lot a re-branding and badge
engineering goes on.

If I am shopping for a 37" TV then what should I be objectively looking for
(and avoiding to be a little bit future proof)? I guess LED illumination and
a good contrast ratio are good for starters - but any technology that offers
a real advantage that I may find in looking at the specs?

Anyone geeky enough to table some ideas?

(I am old enough to remember the days of a British TV industry - when many
makers would all use the same chassis design and tube)



Samsung are good IME (2 TVs and a monitor). At least on of those
(40-mumble inch) shares the panel with a Sony Bravia - which are
exceedingly good panels - bright, good viewing angle.

The small Samsung TV is good, except the below-axis viewing is poor - eg
it's on a table and you're on the floor.

The monitor is excellent.

All of this is inherently out of date - but Samsung will give you a good
starting point IME, but I would locate a model you like the look of and
then research the exact model number on the TV forums - it's the only
way to be sure.

--
Tim Watts

"Tim Watts" wrote in message
...
On 30/11/10 12:37, John wrote:
I understand that there are only a handful of manufacturers of LCD panels
and there are probably some "processors" that are better than others. I
don't want to make a purchase decision based on the name on the TV as I
don't believe it tells a full story as a lot a re-branding and badge
engineering goes on.

If I am shopping for a 37" TV then what should I be objectively looking
for
(and avoiding to be a little bit future proof)? I guess LED illumination
and
a good contrast ratio are good for starters - but any technology that
offers
a real advantage that I may find in looking at the specs?

Anyone geeky enough to table some ideas?

(I am old enough to remember the days of a British TV industry - when
many
makers would all use the same chassis design and tube)



Samsung are good IME (2 TVs and a monitor). At least on of those
(40-mumble inch) shares the panel with a Sony Bravia - which are
exceedingly good panels - bright, good viewing angle.

The small Samsung TV is good, except the below-axis viewing is poor - eg
it's on a table and you're on the floor.

The monitor is excellent.

All of this is inherently out of date - but Samsung will give you a good
starting point IME, but I would locate a model you like the look of and
then research the exact model number on the TV forums - it's the only way
to be sure.

--
Tim Watts


I believe that Samsung are manufacturers of LCD panels

Tim Watts wrote:

Samsung are good IME (2 TVs and a monitor). At least on of those
(40-mumble inch) shares the panel with a Sony Bravia

Another vote for Samsung good picture quality on freeview and via HDMI.

I have one of the ultra thin frame models (actual model is long out of
production), not bothered about the thickness of the TV as it's not
mounted on a wall, but the width of my 42" is actually less than the
width of their normal 40" due to not having acres of plastic round the
panel.

But I expect Panny and Sony are just as good too ... I essentially
waited for the first 1920x1080 24fps set that got good reviews.

?

"Andy Burns" wrote in message
o.uk...
Tim Watts wrote:

Samsung are good IME (2 TVs and a monitor). At least on of those
(40-mumble inch) shares the panel with a Sony Bravia

Another vote for Samsung good picture quality on freeview and via HDMI.

I have one of the ultra thin frame models (actual model is long out of
production), not bothered about the thickness of the TV as it's not
mounted on a wall, but the width of my 42" is actually less than the
width of their normal 40" due to not having acres of plastic round the
panel.

But I expect Panny and Sony are just as good too ... I essentially
waited for the first 1920x1080 24fps set that got good reviews.

dont get blinkered by just visual performance, a noisy rattly speaker will
soon annoy
check the Sound Quality.

"Vass" wrote in message
...
?

"Andy Burns" wrote in message
o.uk...
Tim Watts wrote:

Samsung are good IME (2 TVs and a monitor). At least on of those
(40-mumble inch) shares the panel with a Sony Bravia

Another vote for Samsung good picture quality on freeview and via HDMI.

I have one of the ultra thin frame models (actual model is long out of
production), not bothered about the thickness of the TV as it's not
mounted on a wall, but the width of my 42" is actually less than the
width of their normal 40" due to not having acres of plastic round the
panel.

But I expect Panny and Sony are just as good too ... I essentially
waited for the first 1920x1080 24fps set that got good reviews.

dont get blinkered by just visual performance, a noisy rattly speaker will
soon annoy
check the Sound Quality.



Good tip - thanks.

On Tue, 30 Nov 2010 14:18:55 -0000, Vass wrote:

dont get blinkered by just visual performance, a noisy rattly speaker
will soon annoy check the Sound Quality.

Very good tip, recently bought a 42" Panasonic Plasma, the sound is
OK and even but very lacking in anything below about 150Hz. I thought
my ears were playing up when I first switched it on. The lack of
bottom end is not overly surprising when you find that the speakers
are just 120 x 35mm (4.75 x 1.3").

--
Cheers
Dave.

On Tue, 30 Nov 2010 15:08:56 +0000 (GMT), Dave Liquorice wrote:

On Tue, 30 Nov 2010 14:18:55 -0000, Vass wrote:

dont get blinkered by just visual performance, a noisy rattly speaker
will soon annoy check the Sound Quality.

Very good tip, recently bought a 42" Panasonic Plasma, the sound is
OK and even but very lacking in anything below about 150Hz. I thought
my ears were playing up when I first switched it on. The lack of
bottom end is not overly surprising when you find that the speakers
are just 120 x 35mm (4.75 x 1.3").

After some advice and help from this group, I bought a Samsung UE37C6530U TV
and the sound isn't at all bad (I use 'Music' most of the time and have
tuned 'Standard' for the 'heavier' stuff.
The picture is good on both FTA sat. on an old Fortec box and the built-in
Freeview HD tuner on an old (30+) C/D aerial with poor cable (from Oxford,
about 43km away).
Got it from JL, 5-year warranty and £110 cashback.

I hope this works:
http://www.samsung.com/uk/consumer/t...ype=prd_detail

The manual is available via the Support tab on the left.
--
Peter.
The gods will stay away
whilst religions hold sway

In message o.uk, Dave
Liquorice wrote
On Tue, 30 Nov 2010 14:18:55 -0000, Vass wrote:

dont get blinkered by just visual performance, a noisy rattly speaker
will soon annoy check the Sound Quality.

Very good tip, recently bought a 42" Panasonic Plasma, the sound is
OK and even but very lacking in anything below about 150Hz. I thought
my ears were playing up when I first switched it on. The lack of
bottom end is not overly surprising when you find that the speakers
are just 120 x 35mm (4.75 x 1.3").



Nothing thin will have good 'internal' speakers - use an AV amp with
external speakers
--
Alan
news2009 {at} admac {dot} myzen {dot} co {dot} uk

On Nov 30, 12:37*pm, "John" wrote:
I understand that there are only a handful of manufacturers of LCD panels
and there are probably some "processors" that are better than others. I
don't want to make a purchase decision based on the name on the TV as I
don't believe it tells a full story as a lot a re-branding and badge
engineering goes on.

If I am shopping for a 37" TV then what should I be objectively looking for
(and avoiding to be a little bit future proof)? I guess LED illumination and
a good contrast ratio are good for starters - but any technology that offers
a real advantage that I may find in looking at the specs?

Anyone geeky enough to table some ideas?

(I am old enough to remember the days of a British TV industry - when many
makers would all use the same chassis design and tube)

I got a Panasonic. Excellent picture but I can't really compare with
others.
I got it because it has built in Freesat and Freeview, also it can be
used as a a computer monitor. The freesat is really good, three HD
channels at present. I got a free five yar guarantee.
However, I can't seem to get an output for recording the Freesat from
it.
I have had one remote go faulty & the replacement is getting dodgy
already. It's about 18 months old.

On Nov 30, 1:16*pm, harry wrote:
On Nov 30, 12:37*pm, "John" wrote:

I understand that there are only a handful of manufacturers of LCD panels
and there are probably some "processors" that are better than others. I
don't want to make a purchase decision based on the name on the TV as I
don't believe it tells a full story as a lot a re-branding and badge
engineering goes on.

If I am shopping for a 37" TV then what should I be objectively looking for
(and avoiding to be a little bit future proof)? I guess LED illumination and
a good contrast ratio are good for starters - but any technology that offers
a real advantage that I may find in looking at the specs?

Anyone geeky enough to table some ideas?

(I am old enough to remember the days of a British TV industry - when many
makers would all use the same chassis design and tube)

I got a Panasonic. * Excellent picture but I can't really compare with
others.
I got it because it has built in Freesat and Freeview, also it can be
used as a a computer monitor. The freesat is really good, three HD
channels at present. I got a free five yar guarantee.
However, I can't seem to get an output for recording the Freesat from
it.
I have had one remote go faulty & the replacement is getting dodgy
already. It's about 18 months old.

I asked the salesman which models had fewest returns for warranty
reasons and he said Sony and Panasonic. (So I actually ended up buying
one of each, on sepataret occasions.)

Jonathah

On Nov 30, 1:16*pm, harry wrote:
I got a Panasonic. * Excellent picture

I would second that (our 37" set isn't the latest model, however).
'Processing' is every bit as important as the panel itself, if not
more so, and Panasonic seem to have the edge when it comes to scaling
technology (not relevant when feeding a 1080p picture into a full-HD
panel, of course, but very much so when upscaling SD). Over the years
they've consistently got good ratings from Which?

Richard.
http://www.rtrussell.co.uk/

"harry" wrote in message
...
On Nov 30, 12:37 pm, "John" wrote:

I got a Panasonic. Excellent picture but I can't really compare with
others.
I got it because it has built in Freesat and Freeview, also it can be
used as a a computer monitor.

Have you succeeded using it as a monitor? I tried to feed iPlayer from my
laptop to the 37" Panasonic and one quarter of the laptop screen fills the
TV picture, the other three quarters being invisible. Laptop resolution is
1440 x 900. It works fine when I feed it to our 20" Toshiba though
(Toshiba resolution is 1366 x 768).

The freesat is really good, three HD
channels at present. I got a free five yar guarantee.
However, I can't seem to get an output for recording the Freesat from
it.

I record the Freesat signal from AV1 Scart on the TV into a scart connection
on the PVR - works fine. You cannot record via the HDMI port so, although
you can record the HD channels, the result is Standard Definition.
--
Tinkerer

On Nov 30, 4:47*pm, "Tinkerer"
wrote:
"harry" wrote in message

...
On Nov 30, 12:37 pm, "John" wrote:

I got a Panasonic. * Excellent picture but I can't really compare with
others.
I got it because it has built in Freesat and Freeview, also it can be
used as a a computer monitor.

Have you succeeded using it as a monitor? * I tried to feed iPlayer from my
laptop to the 37" Panasonic and one quarter of the laptop screen fills the
TV picture, the other three quarters being invisible. * Laptop resolution is
1440 x 900. * It works fine when I feed it to our 20" Toshiba though
(Toshiba resolution is 1366 x 768).

The freesat is really good, three HD
channels at present. I got a free five yar guarantee.
However, I can't seem to get an output for recording the Freesat from
it.

I record the Freesat signal from AV1 Scart on the TV into a scart connection
on the PVR - works fine. * You cannot record via the HDMI port so, although
you can record the HD channels, the result is Standard Definition.
--
Tinkerer

I am using it right now as a monitor. I sit about eight feet away from
the screen. The computer is mounted above the TV, I have wireless
keyboard/mouse. (I have problems with the mouse & keyboard
intermittantly for some reason that I can't determine.)
I never thought that you could get a signal out of the scart, I
thought it was just input there :-) I will have a mess about.
I have BR-DVD player, a DVD player/recorder and my old vhs tape thingy
plugged into the HDMI/scart ports.
I have to say the tapes look really **** compared withe new
technology.

On Nov 30, 8:07*pm, harry wrote:
On Nov 30, 4:47*pm, "Tinkerer"
wrote:





"harry" wrote in message

....
On Nov 30, 12:37 pm, "John" wrote:

I got a Panasonic. * Excellent picture but I can't really compare with
others.
I got it because it has built in Freesat and Freeview, also it can be
used as a a computer monitor.

Have you succeeded using it as a monitor? * I tried to feed iPlayer from my
laptop to the 37" Panasonic and one quarter of the laptop screen fills the
TV picture, the other three quarters being invisible. * Laptop resolution is
1440 x 900. * It works fine when I feed it to our 20" Toshiba though
(Toshiba resolution is 1366 x 768).

The freesat is really good, three HD
channels at present. I got a free five yar guarantee.
However, I can't seem to get an output for recording the Freesat from
it.

I record the Freesat signal from AV1 Scart on the TV into a scart connection
on the PVR - works fine. * You cannot record via the HDMI port so, although
you can record the HD channels, the result is Standard Definition.
--
Tinkerer

I am using it right now as a monitor. I sit about eight feet away from
the screen. The computer is mounted above the TV, I have wireless
keyboard/mouse. *(I have problems with the mouse & keyboard
intermittantly for some reason that I can't determine.)
I never thought that you could get a signal out of the scart, I
thought it was just input there *:-) *I will have a mess about.
I have BR-DVD player, a DVD player/recorder and my old vhs tape thingy
plugged into the HDMI/scart ports.
I have to *say the tapes look really **** compared withe new
technology.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Oh. Another thought. It has an ethernet connection. You can connect
it direct to the modem & get pictures from the Beeb. There is a 999
channel has all the info. I don't bother as I have the Freesat
thingy. Just occasionally the Freesat is bad. (Pixellating but only
twice in the time I've had it.) I suppose it would be useful there.
But I suppose it would soon push you over your broadband limit.
The BBC iplayer gets an excellent picture on it too.

I put my own dish up. You need to have the satellite finder meter.
Hopeless without it. Simple with it. If you need info just
speak. :-)

On Nov 30, 8:15*pm, harry wrote:
On Nov 30, 8:07*pm, harry wrote:





On Nov 30, 4:47*pm, "Tinkerer"
wrote:

"harry" wrote in message

....
On Nov 30, 12:37 pm, "John" wrote:

I got a Panasonic. * Excellent picture but I can't really compare with
others.
I got it because it has built in Freesat and Freeview, also it can be
used as a a computer monitor.

Have you succeeded using it as a monitor? * I tried to feed iPlayer from my
laptop to the 37" Panasonic and one quarter of the laptop screen fills the
TV picture, the other three quarters being invisible. * Laptop resolution is
1440 x 900. * It works fine when I feed it to our 20" Toshiba though
(Toshiba resolution is 1366 x 768).

The freesat is really good, three HD
channels at present. I got a free five yar guarantee.
However, I can't seem to get an output for recording the Freesat from
it.

I record the Freesat signal from AV1 Scart on the TV into a scart connection
on the PVR - works fine. * You cannot record via the HDMI port so, although
you can record the HD channels, the result is Standard Definition.
--
Tinkerer

I am using it right now as a monitor. I sit about eight feet away from
the screen. The computer is mounted above the TV, I have wireless
keyboard/mouse. *(I have problems with the mouse & keyboard
intermittantly for some reason that I can't determine.)
I never thought that you could get a signal out of the scart, I
thought it was just input there *:-) *I will have a mess about.
I have BR-DVD player, a DVD player/recorder and my old vhs tape thingy
plugged into the HDMI/scart ports.
I have to *say the tapes look really **** compared withe new
technology.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Oh. Another thought. *It has an ethernet connection. You can connect
it direct to the modem & get pictures from the Beeb. There is a 999
channel has all the info. *I don't bother as I have the Freesat
thingy. Just occasionally the Freesat is bad. (Pixellating but only
twice in the time I've had it.) I suppose it would be useful there.
But I suppose it would soon push you over your broadband limit.
The BBC iplayer gets an excellent picture on it too.

I put my own dish up. *You need to have the satellite finder meter.
Hopeless without it. *Simple with it. *If you need info *just
speak. *:-)- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Yet another thought. It has a slot for SD cards. Stills and video.
There is a limited amount of editing. Rotate is about it. Works
excellently.
Down side seems to be the dodgy remotes

On Tue, 30 Nov 2010 12:15:18 -0800 (PST), harry wrote:

The BBC iplayer gets an excellent picture on it too.

The "hispeed" (or whatever they call it, think it needs at least
2MBps to work) iPlayer option on our Panny's is OK for catch up but
that's about all. I'd not call it "excellent" by a long chalk.

--
Cheers
Dave.

"John" wrote in message
...
I understand that there are only a handful of manufacturers of LCD panels
and there are probably some "processors" that are better than others. I
don't want to make a purchase decision based on the name on the TV as I
don't believe it tells a full story as a lot a re-branding and badge
engineering goes on.

If I am shopping for a 37" TV then what should I be objectively looking
for (and avoiding to be a little bit future proof)? I guess LED
illumination and a good contrast ratio are good for starters - but any
technology that offers a real advantage that I may find in looking at the
specs?

Anyone geeky enough to table some ideas?

(I am old enough to remember the days of a British TV industry - when many
makers would all use the same chassis design and tube)


What are you watching?

If its a skyHD box then most of the electronics are bypassed when using an
HDMI cable.
You can even use a monitor and have no "TV" at all.

Then there is Freesat which can be inbuilt or like Sky an external box.

And lets not forget FreeviewHD and Freeview.

I think its safe to forget analogue TV in a lot of areas.

Do you need/want 3D?

I have a series 6 Samsung and that is pretty good IMO.

"dennis@home" wrote in message
...


"John" wrote in message
...
I understand that there are only a handful of manufacturers of LCD panels
and there are probably some "processors" that are better than others. I
don't want to make a purchase decision based on the name on the TV as I
don't believe it tells a full story as a lot a re-branding and badge
engineering goes on.

If I am shopping for a 37" TV then what should I be objectively looking
for (and avoiding to be a little bit future proof)? I guess LED
illumination and a good contrast ratio are good for starters - but any
technology that offers a real advantage that I may find in looking at the
specs?

Anyone geeky enough to table some ideas?

(I am old enough to remember the days of a British TV industry - when
many makers would all use the same chassis design and tube)


What are you watching?

If its a skyHD box then most of the electronics are bypassed when using an
HDMI cable.
You can even use a monitor and have no "TV" at all.

Then there is Freesat which can be inbuilt or like Sky an external box.

And lets not forget FreeviewHD and Freeview.

I think its safe to forget analogue TV in a lot of areas.

Do you need/want 3D?

I have a series 6 Samsung and that is pretty good IMO.


Virgin Cable (only about £1 as I have their Broadband and Telephone)

On 30/11/2010 14:36, John wrote:
wrote in message
...


wrote in message
...
I understand that there are only a handful of manufacturers of LCD panels
and there are probably some "processors" that are better than others. I
don't want to make a purchase decision based on the name on the TV as I
don't believe it tells a full story as a lot a re-branding and badge
engineering goes on.

If I am shopping for a 37" TV then what should I be objectively looking
for (and avoiding to be a little bit future proof)? I guess LED
illumination and a good contrast ratio are good for starters - but any
technology that offers a real advantage that I may find in looking at the
specs?

Anyone geeky enough to table some ideas?

(I am old enough to remember the days of a British TV industry - when
many makers would all use the same chassis design and tube)


What are you watching?

If its a skyHD box then most of the electronics are bypassed when using an
HDMI cable.
You can even use a monitor and have no "TV" at all.

Then there is Freesat which can be inbuilt or like Sky an external box.

And lets not forget FreeviewHD and Freeview.

I think its safe to forget analogue TV in a lot of areas.

Do you need/want 3D?

I have a series 6 Samsung and that is pretty good IMO.


Virgin Cable (only about £1 as I have their Broadband and Telephone)



Worth checking the web for "refurbished" models, often with a 6 month
warranty. Generally it means there's a new model out, the manufacturer
needs to shift stocks of the previous one, but they can't be seen to be
cutting prices. A friend and I got a couple of Panasonics that way, and
they both looked brand new to me. No problems 18 months down the line

On Tue, 30 Nov 2010 15:49:20 +0000, stuart noble wrote:

Worth checking the web for "refurbished" models, often with a 6 month
warranty. Generally it means there's a new model out, the manufacturer
needs to shift stocks of the previous one, but they can't be seen to be
cutting prices.

More likely returns, either due to faults or the "no quibble" 16 or
what ever return policy of some retailers or under the DSRs. They go
back to a factory the (expensive) electronics stripped out tested,
put back into new (cheap) casings, packageing and manuals and sold
on.

--
Cheers
Dave.

On 01/12/2010 09:57, Dave Liquorice wrote:
On Tue, 30 Nov 2010 15:49:20 +0000, stuart noble wrote:

Worth checking the web for "refurbished" models, often with a 6 month
warranty. Generally it means there's a new model out, the manufacturer
needs to shift stocks of the previous one, but they can't be seen to be
cutting prices.

More likely returns, either due to faults or the "no quibble" 16 or
what ever return policy of some retailers or under the DSRs. They go
back to a factory the (expensive) electronics stripped out tested,
put back into new (cheap) casings, packageing and manuals and sold
on.


That's what I thought but, having bought loads of "refurbished"
electronic gear over the years, these offers always seem to coincide
with a new model being launched.
A recent example was the Wacom Bamboo. Why on earth would I need a touch
screen graphics tablet? Seems to be technology for the sake of it, so
I'm happy to pick up the previous version for a song.

On Nov 30, 12:37*pm, "John" wrote:
I understand that there are only a handful of manufacturers of LCD panels
and there are probably some "processors" that are better than others. I
don't want to make a purchase decision based on the name on the TV as I
don't believe it tells a full story as a lot a re-branding and badge
engineering goes on.

If I am shopping for a 37" TV then what should I be objectively looking for
(and avoiding to be a little bit future proof)? I guess LED illumination and
a good contrast ratio are good for starters - but any technology that offers
a real advantage that I may find in looking at the specs?

Anyone geeky enough to table some ideas?

(I am old enough to remember the days of a British TV industry - when many
makers would all use the same chassis design and tube)

Avoid anything branded "Cello" even if they are sold in John Lewis.
The picture's OK but the UI is crap and slow.

MBQ

On Tue, 30 Nov 2010 12:37:20 -0000, John wrote:

If I am shopping for a 37" TV then what should I be objectively looking
for (and avoiding to be a little bit future proof)?

Built in Freesat or Freeview. Analogue will be history in 2 years...
Might be worth getting HD as well. SD on freesat is acceptable, I've
yet to see any SD Freeview that I consider watchable, it's normally
crawling with artifacts. Main stream channels on both not the
minority ones.

I guess LED illumination and a good contrast ratio are good for starters

At least you realise that the "LED" sets currently on the market are
just LED backlights for an LCD panel and thus still suffer the
problems of LCD. Laggy response and poor contrast ratio, the LED
backlight does help the latter though.

Go for a native panel resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels, I think the
marketing sticker "Full HD 1080p" ensures this but check.... Avoid
anything with the "HD Ready" sticker.

--
Cheers
Dave.

Dave Liquorice wrote:

Built in Freesat or Freeview. Go for a native panel resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels, I think the
marketing sticker "Full HD 1080p" ensures this but check.... Avoid
anything with the "HD Ready" sticker.

Be aware that even with a HD-Ready or Full-HD sticker this only means it
can display HD from an external source, not that it can receive HD from
aerial or dish using the inbuilt tuner, if you want that then you need a
FreeviewHD or FreesatHD sticker.

On Tue, 30 Nov 2010 12:37:20 -0000, John wrote:
I understand that there are only a handful of manufacturers of LCD panels
and there are probably some "processors" that are better than others. I
don't want to make a purchase decision based on the name on the TV as I
don't believe it tells a full story as a lot a re-branding and badge
engineering goes on.

If I am shopping for a 37" TV then what should I be objectively looking for
(and avoiding to be a little bit future proof)? I guess LED illumination and
a good contrast ratio are good for starters - but any technology that offers
a real advantage that I may find in looking at the specs?

Personally, I wouldn't get too hung up on the tech-specs. Just so long as
the set will display 1080p, the features and your perception of visual
and sound quality are far more important.
Putting aside all the hype about 3D, the number of HDMI connections
seems to be a differentiator that is worth taking notice of, as is the
ability to connect a set to the internet - or HDCP thingies.

In an ideal world you should be able to test a selection of sets against
the sort of content you'll be watching most: be that DVD/Blu-ray, games
or plain old off-the-air telly. in practice a lot of shops that I've been
to either only have canned demos, or are so egregiously set up that they
actively discourage you from buying their wares.

Finally, I'd say only pay attention to reviews from people who have
actually bought a particular set, themselves. Though it's fair to
say that the widely known "good" brands are a good place to start.


Anyone geeky enough to table some ideas?

(I am old enough to remember the days of a British TV industry - when many
makers would all use the same chassis design and tube)




--
http://thisreallyismyhost.99k.org/29...1928496525.php

In message , John
wrote

Anyone geeky enough to table some ideas?

Always go into a shop and look at the viewing angle. Some panels only
give good results when you are in front of them. Go off axis and the
colours/contrast fade into something not worth watching.

Consider if most of your viewing will be from a HD or SD source. Shops
will demonstrate TV with HD or a Bluray source and hence will not show
problems with how the TV deals with low bit rate SD broadcasts.

None of the sets in a shop will be set-up for normal home viewing.

Just because one set in a range from a manufacturer is recommended by
someone don't assume that all the other sets in the range have the same
technology (panels or electronics).


BTW, I'm very happy with my 40" Samsung LCD (traditionally back lit)
--
Alan
news2009 {at} admac {dot} myzen {dot} co {dot} uk

Sony & Panasonic give good sound quality, Samsung variable.
By that I mean acceptable, realise the low end is impeded by the TV
structure. Samsung on some models is laughable, but that is because
they are 2x 3W whereas the others for a little bit more give 2x 10W
(the difference is the Samsung starts rattling or booming before you
get to an acceptable sound level, they aim small ones at bedrooms).

Sony, Panasonic & Samsung can have similar picture.
What I really mean is they may all use PVA or IPS panels, rather than
TN. The problem with TN panels is 6-bit colour, poor viewing angle,
low contrast despite drivel 20,000:1 ratio, and pretty miserable
performance with black/night scenes re films.

Warranty is important, but beware cost.
An LCD panel has a few parts: PSU, Inverter, Decoder, Backlight &
Panel. If the panel fails (and they do) that is the most expensive
part and the TV is scrap. LCD will not last as long as CRT, and PSUs
in particular are likely to be a weak point (LG & Samsung perhaps
particularly from experience with their monitors included rebranded).
A free 3yr or 5yr warranty is worth having, but paying £150 for it is
not. I would not accept a 1yr warranty on a £300-400 TV, I would want
a minimum of 2yr and would pay £30 for an extension to 2yr but not
more than £50 for an extension to 3yr. Some TVs come with 3yr
warranty, others can be had cheaply with a longer warranty (check
Richer Sounds for their offers).

Beware the codes.
One TV such as 6000U may have a TN panel, a 6000V may have PVA panel,
a 6000T may have IPS panel - and the price rises accordingly. So
always check what is *inside* the TV where different panels are
available (Sony).

Read the reviews broadly.
Amazon & Argos are handy - but always start with the worst reviews
because they tend to be written by someone with a clue, such as "the
sound sucks from 3W speakers" or "this model is now a TN panel which
is pitch black for dark films and has horrible spotlighting in the
corners re backlight" or "the thing takes 30min to give a decent
picture and then it suffers from motion blur" (this is what the better
chipsets avoid re jaggies and judder).

When you get it, go into the menu and turn down "sharpness" and
similar filters - they will give everything a sharp halo edge when you
want a soft image to hide the "sized like lego pixels". Remember a
26-40" TV is still a very low resolution panel compared to what a
monitor would have, so too huge in a tiny room can work out badly.

A 26" TV is fine re size for someone not bothered about TV (me!),
however for films 32" is actually a lot better even in a small living
room. Going to 40" requires a fair viewing distance, LCD is still not
quite CRT.

For anyone planning on being "modern", the number of HDMI ports
matters (2+), plus Freeview-HD unless you want another box to fiddle
with. Check on last years model and shop around, bargains can be had
but there are a lot of people looking so things go quickly. Always
check what spec you are actually buying. Amazon UK can be useful on
pricing, because they tend to walk prices down for a time - wait too
long and they "return back up and begin again". There is usually one
good offer on there which is difficult to beat, the downside is their
warranty is costly - always check John Lewis, then check around
because other places do undercut enough to make the warranty less
critical or offer a 2yr/3yr at minimal cost (£25-30).

"PVA or IPS or TN panels."

Just the sort of stuff I think I need - but what are the differences?

John wrote:

"PVA or IPS or TN panels."
Just the sort of stuff I think I need - but what are the differences?

http://www.tftcentral.co.uk/articles...chnologies.htm

John wrote, on 30/11/2010 20:33:
"PVA or IPS or TN panels."

Just the sort of stuff I think I need - but what are the differences?


You might find the following site useful as well:-

http://www.hdtvtest.co.uk/

They go into some detail about the measured picture quality and
performance, and other issues such as sound quality and viewing angles.
I chose a Sony EX503 which uses a CCF backlight because a number of
different reviews raised question marks over the backlight consistency
generally for LED TVs. As others have mentioned in this thread, sound
quality is also allegedly poor on the ultra-thin LED TVs.

I did find that viewing different sets in the shops did not help at all;
firstly because of the lighting type and levels in the showrooms not to
mention sound levels, and also because the sets were usually adjusted
for vivid colours to make an impact. The outcome was that the
demonstrations came nowhere near to reflecting the circumstances of my
use in my living room of an evening.

YMMV, of course.

--
Dave N

In article , Dave N nospam@wer
fner.org.uk.invalid scribeth thus
John wrote, on 30/11/2010 20:33:
"PVA or IPS or TN panels."

Just the sort of stuff I think I need - but what are the differences?


You might find the following site useful as well:-

http://www.hdtvtest.co.uk/

They go into some detail about the measured picture quality and
performance, and other issues such as sound quality and viewing angles.
I chose a Sony EX503 which uses a CCF backlight because a number of
different reviews raised question marks over the backlight consistency
generally for LED TVs. As others have mentioned in this thread, sound
quality is also allegedly poor on the ultra-thin LED TVs.

I did find that viewing different sets in the shops did not help at all;
firstly because of the lighting type and levels in the showrooms not to
mention sound levels, and also because the sets were usually adjusted
for vivid colours to make an impact. The outcome was that the
demonstrations came nowhere near to reflecting the circumstances of my
use in my living room of an evening.

YMMV, of course.


Well we originally went to Richer sounds but the nitwit there insisted
that the poor pix were due to "too many tellies running off the same
aerial" and he wouldn't have it any other way.. Tried to put him
straight but he wasn't having it .. so they lost a sale..

Went to John Lewis a similar aged boy obviously better trained, knew a
whole lot more re TV and hence we ended up buying from there, at least
he could demonstrate a few things on the set from differing sources..

Overall I can't really fault the Sony LCD it really is black where black
should go and gives a very good account of Freeview but off satellite a
Dreambox, used on several sats, pix are that bit better. The channels
from Germany are about the best quality wise, and show what SD digital
TV can be like

Compare to a CRT?, well the CRT set died a while ago and so no can do
but it seems that the colour rendering isn't "quite" the same, perhaps
thats just analogue -v- digital ;!.. But overall rather impressed on
most all programmes but then again its as good as what they send out!..

Looking to see what HD on Freeview will be like next March as it has an
inbuilt HD tuner...


and the sound .. as good as a thin plastic case can go, still thats an
external amp and speakers for that..
--
Tony Sayer

In article , John
scribeth thus
I understand that there are only a handful of manufacturers of LCD panels
and there are probably some "processors" that are better than others. I
don't want to make a purchase decision based on the name on the TV as I
don't believe it tells a full story as a lot a re-branding and badge
engineering goes on.

If I am shopping for a 37" TV then what should I be objectively looking for
(and avoiding to be a little bit future proof)? I guess LED illumination and
a good contrast ratio are good for starters - but any technology that offers
a real advantage that I may find in looking at the specs?

Anyone geeky enough to table some ideas?

(I am old enough to remember the days of a British TV industry - when many
makers would all use the same chassis design and tube)



The newer Sony Bravaia's are worth looking at the following is excellent
IMHO having just bought one!. Has built in iplayer and youtube etc as
well as a built in freeview standard and hi def tuner....

Pix given a good source is as good as when they transmit and using blu
ray .. superb..

Sound like most panel TV's, is not up to much but external amp and
speakers see to that



http://www.johnlewis.com/230887955/Product.aspx
--
Tony Sayer

"John" wrote in message
...

I would look for 1080p, 'Freeview HD' and consider what could be done with
any Ethernet or Wifi support, i.e. Upnp, DLNA iPlayer.


--
Michael Chare

"John" wrote in message
...
snip
If I am shopping for a 37" TV then what should I be objectively looking
for (and avoiding to be a little bit future proof)? I guess LED
illumination and a good contrast ratio are good for starters - but any
technology that offers a real advantage that I may find in looking at the
specs?
snip

First thing to confirm is if a 37" TV is the correct size.

See
http://hd.engadget.com/2006/12/09/1080p-charted-viewing-distance-to-screen-size/.

I have a 42" Panasonic plasma which I think is very good.
However when I commented that there was not much difference between SD and
HD on Freesat after some ill informed comments about eyesight I was pointed
to the above chart.

Sitting about 11 feet away from the TV (sofa on one side of room, TV on
opposite chimney breast) I am in the "starts to notice the benefits of
720p'' area and not far from the "everything looks the same" area.

So unless you are fairly close to your 37" TV you may not see a lot of
difference between SD and HD broadcasts, especially if your TV upscales SD
to HD.

One good thing about the Panasonic is the SD slot - makes it very easy to
view photos from digital cameras.
I happen to have a Panasonic HD camcorder and I can take the SD card out,
slot it into the TV and then play the footage straight away.
So also consider what other digital devices you have and what support there
is in the TV.

HTH

Dave R

On Wed, 1 Dec 2010 11:21:45 +1300, David WE Roberts
wrote:

http://hd.engadget.com/2006/12/09/10...distance-to-sc
reen-size/

I have a 42" Panasonic plasma which I think is very good. However when I
commented that there was not much difference between SD and HD on
Freesat after some ill informed comments about eyesight I was pointed
to the above chart.

That chart doesn't really take into account the artifacts on SD
broadcast. I can tell the difference between Freesat SD and Freesat
HD at 12' no trouble. It's not so easy to tell the difference between
DVD and broadcast HD, DVD and Blu-Ray at 12' though.

--
Cheers
Dave.