[handers101]

ok, i've been sat infront of my pc all day trying to work out which tv to buy, if buy one at all..... here's my headache......

buy a Tv now....

choice of

toshiba 36zp48
philly 32pw9509
panasonic 32pd50
and various sony's mostly 32dx200

can anyone recommend a set from the above, i've been reading the forum and found peeps have had some serious problems with some if not all of the above sets. i will be using the tv for dvd's and ps2 mostly. so this has been driving me mad trying to choose a set but then after digging deeper......

HDTV

is it worth waiting for this tech to come in (will it cost the earth?, how long will it be?) do i delay my tv purchase or just buy a nice tv one of the above if i can ever work out which or will it be a waste of money due to this new tech just about to appear?

Any help or advice would really help, its 2am now, should really goto sleep! my head hurts lol

[systemsdead]

i went for the toshiba 36zp48 totally amazing set games looked completely different,i play xbox ps2 gamecube on it dvds are amazing so is the sound,you will not be dissapointed

[TV Headache]

There will doubtless be a range of HD ready TVs to choose from by this time next year but very little content to watch on it. Even if you're comfortable with paying a hefty subscription to receive the hi-def feeds I'd still go for CRT because it offers the best picture quality 100% of the time now, and probably even 95% of the time in the future. Even HD-compatible LCDs and plasmas look relatively bad on normal SD broadcast material.

I'd recommend the Sony but whatever you do, go have a look at the picture quality yourself because and set with picture enhancement technology can look unnatrual if you're used to unadulterated TV.

BTW, good thread name

[handers101]

What do you mean by the picture enhancement, do you mean the sony doesnot have it, is it the pixel plus 2 thing on the panny and the cryistal clear thing on the toshiba?

So Far ...........

Toshiba 1
Sony 1
Panny 0
Philips 0

I 've recently had the same problem regarding which Tv to buy. Your choice is very similar to the one I had also. I looked at comments on here about the models and in the end it does come down to personal opinion. Some people regard the Panasonic better that the Toshiba and the Phililps whilst others argue differently. In the end I decided to go for the Philips 9509 for £680 from Sound and Vision as the picture I saw looked fantastic.
I shall tell you more about the tv when it arrives on Friday.
Good luck

Gareth

[handers101]

cool, Will be interesting to see what you have to say about the pixel plus 2 tech.

so far......

toshiba 1
sony 1
philips 1
panny 0

[TV Headache]

Originally Posted by handers101

What do you mean by the picture enhancement, do you mean the sony doesnot have it, is it the pixel plus 2 thing on the panny and the cryistal clear thing on the toshiba?

No, the Sony does have it (DRC-MF, they call it) but that wasn't my point. If you're used to a good basic picture then even simple 100Hz can seem strange because all the 'enhancement' systems that you've mentioned are changing the picture from what was originaly broadcast i.e. 625 lines at 50Hz. Most of them throw-up some kind of side effect (picture noise, motion blur etc.) which in some people's opinion make them almost unwatchable, despite the rave reviews they get elsewhere. Hence my advice to have a good look at the real items before you buy.

[handers101]

I see, i went to currys last night just to see what they had, thought i could see them all in the one place but they did not have a single model i was looking for, so going to try somewhere else tonight.

[handers101]

So Far....

panny 3
toshiba 2
sony 1
philips 1

seems like the panny is much liked for its DVD playback

[Sniper]

... would someone be able to answer the following pls!

basically I was looking for a 32" CRT with Component input - reason for this is that my Pioneer DV-470 manual states that progsessive scan is only available from the component output... thing is i really liked the picture of the Philips 9503 PixelPlus2 & the dealer told me that even though the input will be via scart RGB (interlaced), it will be converted to progrsessive due to the pixel-plus processing!

TRUE ?

and if so - is this similar to the farrudia chips on DLP projectors?

With regards to going to Currys, Handers101, I did the same thing last week.
My local Currys still stock the Tosh for £799 but none of the rest. Comet used to do the Tosh for a hundred quid cheaper but now it's a discontinued line with them. If you want to look on the high street for a Philips, then Dixons stock them. I assume you are trying to see what they look like as the price in Dixons is sky high. £999 for the Philips but at least you can see it in action. Not sure where to find the Panasonic unless it's a decent tv store.

Gareth

[handers101]

hi, thanks for the advice, I went to comet today but they didn't have anything there. Think i'll try John Lewis next. Yeah all I want to do is see them - i won't be paying high street prices thats for sure!!

[pizzed-monkey]

is that the 36" tosh your looking at or is that a typo?

cant vouch for the 32" but its big brother has won hands down against all other 36" sets i've seen...... trying to get JL to price match right now. They dont stock the 32" version BTW if thats what your after......

If your counting votes though, mine is for the Tosh.

...the 32 even has a smaller footprint than my current 28!


*crawls away*

[TV Headache]

I think this-time-last-year you could probably see them all under one roof but the major stores seem to have shoved all the CRTs into a corner and only giving floor space to the models that cost significantly less than LCD. It's a shame because it meens that all those of us who are looking for picture quality can't actually try it out! (But then I guess they wouldn't sell so many flat TVs if customers could see that the CRT TV next to it had twice the picture quality at half the price...)

[handers101]

Yeah its the 36 i am looking at..... seems to be the best 36 around, only prob i see is weight, i got to get it up three flights of stairs, lol.... would be worth the stuggle i recon

[SJGIL]

Hi Handers101,

I would recommened the Tosh 36zp48, I have had one of these for a couple of months and the picture is stunning, especially with DVD. I am very fussy about my picture quality and for me this TV was much better than anything else I looked at. I love the design and my mate who has a 32" TV said that the Tosh actually takes up less floor space than his thanks to the picture frame design.

Weight is an issue if you are going up 3 flights but believe me it will be worth it. If you get a demo of this TV see if the store will demo a DVD player connected via component - excellent images will follow.

The TV also performs very well with Cable, Freeview but I don't have Sky so cannot comment here but with everything else no worries!

Good luck with whatever you go with.

[pathway]

I too am looking at the Tosh 32/36 and Panny 32" models you mention. And the weight issue is a factor for me aswell...Reason:

I have a dedicated AV rack that states the maximum weight to be used on the top shelf is 75Kg and I think the Tosh 36" tv is 75Kg. I am inclined to believe that the rack manufacturers are conservative - but I wouldn't want to make a very expensive mistake should the rack/glass give in. However, the 36" may overlap the metal frame of the rack - in which case it should be safe...right?

Anyone had experience in this area?!?!

Cheers,

Olly

[handers101]

I deffo wouldnt recommend overloading the rack with the toshiba. it is a heavy set and youd be in a bit of a mess if it broke. dont think its worth the risk of the stan or the tv for that matter.

[handers101]

Thanks For The Advice, I think the tosh looks mint, my gf's dad has the tosh picture frame predesessor to the 36zp48 and its a very nice tv, with the prices you can get them for its defo in my mind because its 32" money

[pizzed-monkey]

Deffo worth the struggle IMHO, and if you can get it from JL at well under a grand your laughing. Now just to get a good price match (although the JL list price of 999 with JL 5 year policy is good anyway).

....the only thing is I think they're on to us, about 4 people on here right now trying to price match and they seem to be refusing to go lower than 950 anymore......ggggrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.......

[SJGIL]

Originally Posted by pathway

I too am looking at the Tosh 32/36 and Panny 32" models you mention. And the weight issue is a factor for me aswell...Reason:

I have a dedicated AV rack that states the maximum weight to be used on the top shelf is 75Kg and I think the Tosh 36" tv is 75Kg. I am inclined to believe that the rack manufacturers are conservative - but I wouldn't want to make a very expensive mistake should the rack/glass give in. However, the 36" may overlap the metal frame of the rack - in which case it should be safe...right?

Anyone had experience in this area?!?!

Cheers,

Olly

Hi Pathway,

I agree with handers101, the TV is 75kgs and the stand that comes with it is built to take this weight. Also it is worth noting that two large metal weights are built into the back of the stand to counter balance the weight of the TV of which most of it is towards the front. Without this I would expect there is also the possibility of your stand toppling forward as well as collapsing.

Unless your stand can take at least 80+kgs and is securely bolted to the wall to prevent any toppling I would use the supplied stand if you can. Other than the small shelf space it compliments the TV very well.

[pathway]

I thought this would be the case - almost makes me want an LCD to get the size without the weight etc Preferably I would like to keep the AV rack (http://www.petertyson.co.uk/atacamaequinoxavstand.shtml) as it fits all my other gear nicely and I only have a small(ish) living room.

In fact a 32" model may be enough for my space - just that it's always tempting to go larger - especially as JL price and stock only the 36".

What do people recommend as the minimum viewing distance for a 36" using freeview (or cable) and DVD with some PS2 action?

I'd love the 'wow' factor when watching dvd - can you get this from 32"?

[handers101]

Hi The Veiwing Distances Are As Follows:

28"-32" dist 8-10 foot
36"-42" dist 10-12 foot
42" + dist 12 foot +

Hi Handers101. I've had the Philips 9509 delivered and after settting it up myself I am totally blown away by the picture. If the Tosh and Pana is better than this well I take my hat off. Through sky the pics are fantastic but when a DVD is used it really takes your breath away. Watching Lord of the Rings is awesome when the detail just jumps out at you. I've had no experience of the problems that others found when fast moving objects appear on screen either.
All I can say is I'm extremely happy with it but it's up to you which tv you finally get.
Good Luck.

Gareth

[handers101]

Thank, glad you like your TV!!! Sounds Mint, best thing i can do is go and see them all somewhere for myself i think