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Television recommendations, please...

Wolfmancatsup

Wolfmancatsup

Empire State Human
...'afternoon all.

Our 36" widescreen crt television is about eight or nine years old, and we fancy a move to a more modern tv, partly because the geometry could be a whole lot better (it's a flat-fronted tube with its associated problems) and partly, well, just because. Looking around, I've been horrified at just how awful some of the cheaper sets are, and quite impressed with some of the top-of-the-range monsters.
We don't want bigger than 40", and don't want to spend more than a grand if possible, hopefully quite a bit less. I'd like 1080p, the latest hdmi version, plus at the very least two SCART sockets with RGB.
Any thoughts on the matter? Should I think of spending more or is the perfect box available now at a mere £799 somewhere?

Regards

Mick
 
We're using a pair of Topfield 5800 Freeview PVRs and a DVD player at the moment. Forgot to mention about the possibility of HD reception via Freeview...
 
wait a little while , if you can , the new OLED TVs are coming on the market , they are expensive at the moment , wait a couple of year and they will be in your price range , if you cant wait have a look at either panasonic plasma/Led TVs or Samsung LED Tvs , both look good to me . Be aware the LEDs dont do the blacks very well.
 
A friend just recommended me a Samsung which is LED lit, and available at Currys (spit) for £799, just down from £999 on its introduction in March - he's going to let me know the exact model tomorrow.
 
Note what Zener is saying...I have an old Loewe Aconda carrying out duties in the living room and I am holding fire for a year or so.

I have seen the latest Samsungs and I thought they did the blacks rather well (better than I had expected).
 
Cheers for the input, all - Zener and MichaelC - know what you mean, but my experience of fast growing technology is that there's always going to be something newer and better a couple of years away, and although what you say makes a lot of sense, I'll probably just bite the bullet some time in the next few weeks (after a fair bit of homework) and buy something. The LED lit TVs seem to be getting a lot of thumbs up, although I'll not buy anything without checking it out beforehand.

Mick
 
I've stopped buying new TVs. They move on so fast that last year's Cheryl Cole model now looks like Hilda Ogden and sells for a fitting price. Is second hand an option for you?
 
You need to buy a set that suits your viewing preferences,do bear in mind that if all you watch is sd,then no set you buy will be as good as the one you already own!!!!!
You can only justify owning a 1080 panel is the vast majority of your viewing is hd,why because on everything else a 768 panel will be better.
The best sets currently available for most viewing are still pdp panels(Plasma)with Panasonic being the best out there currently.
Panasonic pdp sets stsart from 37" as little as £500,£600 will get you the 42",this is the one i use as its a 768 panel which is good enough to show off hd,but not that good to show how bad most commercial sd transmissions are.
Do bear in mind that most modern sets are no where near as reliable as old crt sets,if you get more than two years use out of a modern set without problems then you are doing well.
The newer lcd and led panels are good for normal tv viewing but still can't resolve the colour pallete or quite get the deep,deep blacks the modern pdp's can,
Because of the way technology is changing,it's unwise to spend a fortune on a modern tv,do try to get a good dem,preferably with multiple sources and resolutions,but don't forget in a shops bright lights pdp sets will not look as good,they need darker viewing conditions for best results.
Hope iv;e been of help
Steve
 
I'd definitely put Panasonic top of your list. I've bought a couple recently on the back of a "Which?" recommendation and they're very good indeed. Personally, I don't like plasma so much - high energy consumption and a tendency to screen burn.

I do have a Samsung in our other home which is ultra thin & has a very good picture but as with these very thin displays the sound's rather poor.

Interestingly "Which?" has recently tested a Samsung, the UE55C8000 55" LED 3D model, which they say has the best picture they've ever seen on a domestic TV. A snip at £2,800!
 
OLED is more than a way off right now, an 8inch sony one costs 1500 quid.

I recommend you buy one soon. Waiting for The Next Big Thing never works out.

I recently got a Samsung LED 40 inch job for 700 quid and its the dogs danglies. Its so thin I have mounted it on a frame which I can open and close to the wall so I can get behind it.
 
The screen burn issue of Plasma panels is a red herring IMO. Yes, very early generation plasmas did used to suffer, but the phosphors of anything made 5 years or less are way more robust and in normal viewing conditions screen burn is a total non issue.

Our 5 year old Panasonic plasma has been used for many, many hours on channels with bold screen logos and it doesnt have a hint of screen burn. Our screen has phosphors with a mean time to half brightness specification of 60,000 hours, so it should last a few more years yet.


Screen burn is something that shouldn't even be a consideration when making a purchasing decision.
 
Wolfmancatsup said:
...'afternoon all.

Our 36" widescreen crt television is about eight or nine years old, and we fancy a move to a more modern tv,

Mick
Click to expand...

..then you will be going backwards (most probably tho you'll kid y'self the new tv is 'wow..the pic is really good' until you come quietly to yr senses).

Eg, my wide perfectly modern-looking Philips all silvery etc crt tv cost £20 (s/h yes but nearly new). A friend just spent £750 on a new toshiba lcd, set-up by the dealer. Mine is not just better: its FAR better in picture, colour, sharpness, depth, contrast.. and sound. And its not even close either. Don't be daft- get a s/h B&O, or Loewe 40" crt for a fraction of your £1k.
 
Of course it's another recommendation for a Panasonic pdp Alex.,now Pioneer sadly no longer makes sets,i'm afraid they are the best out there currently,they are imho still no where near as good as the Kuro's but,the few that are available are like hens teeth and people who own them just laugh at us mere mortals with our inferior sets!!!!
 
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