Best ~50" TV in the sales?

[Al the Al]

Just moved house and now have a 4.88m gap between the wall where I would mount a TV and the wall where the sofa backs up to. Ample justification for a larger screen!

Since there are likely to be quite a few bargains in the sales in the coming weeks, I wondered what advice others would have on getting the best value for my money. I'm not really looking to spend more than £1500, so no flagship 60" plus models for me!

I have quite liked the look of some of the Samsungs - smart TV and 3D are nice features to have done well, but I guess will be about 1-5% of normal use.

It will be partnered with a Virgin Tivo box, an Xbox and a new blueray/amp/speaker setup (yet to be determined!).

Quite like the idea of LED TVs using presumably less power, as long as the picture is just as good as comparable LCD/plasmas.

Any assistance would be gratefully received!

 

[vickster]

Plasma, Pansonic 50GT30 (perhaps the 50VT30) or the Samsung 51D6900, although £1500 should get you close to a 59D6900

LEDs have plenty of issues still, some of the full backlit Sonys worth a look but don't know if your budget will get you a 55" (nothing around 50") - with LED you have 46-47" and then 55" . The 55" Samsungs seem prone to backlight bleed

 

[newbie1980]

I believe the Samsung Ps59D6900 can already be had for £1400, possibly even less after christmas.

 

[Scooby2000]

Hard to predict what sets will be in any sale, remember though, the sales are for the retailer to shift stock they need rid of, sets that sell well wont be reduced. Things may be different this time due to the financial climate, but theres already huge discounting on many sets. The Panasonic and Samsung plasmas offer the best value IMO and have reduced in price by a lot already. LEDs are LCDs with LED back lighting, edge lit sets can have worse uniformity and are prone to more back light bleed, full array are worth considering but are top end so not cheap.

Plasma IMO when a comparable model, is better than even the best full array sets, whils also being cheaper. Best value sets for the money IMO are the Panasonic ST30 and Samsing D6900. Best sets this year being the Sony HX923, Samsung PDPD8000, Panasonic GT30 and VT30.

 

[Al the Al]

Interesting mention of the 59D6900 (though a certain someone might kill me for going that large!!). I presume that's a couple of years old now since the D8000, as far as I can tell, is the current generation? Am I better off looking at a discount on the flagship models further back or as bang up to date as possible, but smaller? I guess the question really is how much improvement in technology is relevant in that timeframe? A UE55D8000 is now just over £1800 ... tempting ... especially since Samsung go 46" to 55" in LED, with 51" PS51 in the middle (does it compare well in the same stable?).

My view on plasmas had been that they are effectively an extra radiator in your room and waste huge amounts of power. That view may be 5 plus years out of date, but it's what guided me towards LEDs/LCDs more initially.

 

[MissyClamps]

I could be wrong, but I think D signifies the year, whereas 6900 v 8000 denotes where the TVs sit in Samsung's range...so both 2011 but 8000 is the flagship model with all bells & whistles.

 

[vickster]

I could be wrong, but I think D signifies the year, whereas 6900 v 8000 denotes where the TVs sit in Samsung's range...so both 2011 but 8000 is the flagship model with all bells & whistles.

Yep, D is 2011 i.e current. With samsung, higher number usually higher spec

 

[vickster]

If you want a cheaper TV, the 50ST30 is going to be £600 in the Richer Sounds sale from Boxing Day (will be £660 with 5 year warranty)

Glasses extra - £100 more for 2 pairs (retail £200)

 

[Venu44]

yes was looking at £599 ST30 myself.

Lack of glasses puts a dampener on it though if thats the case.

Any compatible cheaper models available with regards glasses ?

 

[vickster]

Best ask in the 3D forum

 

[leedebs]

yes was looking at £599 ST30 myself.

Lack of glasses puts a dampener on it though if thats the case.

Any compatible cheaper models available with regards glasses ?

That set is available for £699 with 2 sets of glasses and a 5 year warranty here
Panasonic TXP50ST30 3D 50" Plasma Television (TXP50ST30B, TX-P50ST30, TX-P50ST30B) - Weymouth Hi-Fi Dorset - Best Cheapest Price Package Deals!
Also £699 on RS but ony 1 year warranty
Panasonic PATWH65 | 50 inch 3D Plasma TV 1080p HD Ready Freeview HD | Richer Sounds
I'm trying to get JL to price match the £699

 

[Venu44]

That set is available for £699 with 2 sets of glasses and a 5 year warranty here
Panasonic TXP50ST30 3D 50" Plasma Television (TXP50ST30B, TX-P50ST30, TX-P50ST30B) - Weymouth Hi-Fi Dorset - Best Cheapest Price Package Deals!
Also £699 on RS but ony 1 year warranty
Panasonic PATWH65 | 50 inch 3D Plasma TV 1080p HD Ready Freeview HD | Richer Sounds
I'm trying to get JL to price match the £699

Thats a PANASONIC warranty.

Offered by the manufacturer themselves. It's likely to be available on the Richer model too, or free blu rays or cash back depending on the promotion of the month.

 

[leedebs]

Thats a PANASONIC warranty.

Offered by the manufacturer themselves. It's likely to be available on the Richer model too, or free blu rays or cash back depending on the promotion of the month.

Yeh the Weymouth one is the Panasonic one but RS do their own warranty for 10% of the purchase price (£769)but as JL price match you can get the 5 year warranty through them included for just £699

 

[Al the Al]

I can go up to around £1500, so really looking for bang for buck at that end of the scale in the roughly 50" category. It's going to be 4m away from the sofa, so much smaller may, for once, look a bit small! I have a lovely 32" Sony CRT sitting there now and have to squint to see any text on it!

 

[vickster]

£1500 and 4m, you could go up to the 59" especially if HD is a main use

 

[Al the Al]

Coooould ... but, apart from the objections of the missus, the bigger the screen, the (presumably) lower the quality for the same price. Was thinking 50" might be about the sweet spot between big and quality for the money. Can't afford £2-3k for great 60" models ...!

 

[Scooby2000]

50" GT30 is under budget and a greate set, I have the 46"

 

[Al the Al]

£999.99 on Amazon now for the 50" GT30. Might pop down to Curry's and see if they have a display model.

 

[vickster]

See what RS can do on a matcch. If you like a longer warranty, can get for 10% of price

Richer Sounds - The UK's Hi-Fi, Home Cinema & Flat Panel TV Specialists!

Don't know if the extra features warrant an extra £400 versus the ST

 

[Al the Al]

... and then there's the VT30 ...

It's not easy all this choice! Any idea how soon any of these lines are due to be replaced with newer tech and higher prices?

 

[vickster]

April/May/June normally, but popular models are normally sold out by then. Production usually stops in Jan and then old stocks are used up

 

[Al the Al]

Right .. Boxing Day exercise .. off to have a look at the Pansonic options in the fantastic world of Curry's (not)! Fingers crossed they have a VT30 and GT30 on display. I'm coming around to thinking now that a good LCD/LED will push up the price too much (eg. D8000 55"). I really want to spend well under £2k for TV, home cinema + Blueray player, so I don't think that will be possible on the LED route ...

 

[Scooby2000]

Still looks a good deal. Panasonic TX-P50GT30B (TXP50GT30B) + TY-EW3D2LME Medium (TYEW3D2ME) 50inch 50GT30B TV + 3D Glasses Bundle Package Deal - Sound and Vision

 

[m8internet]

Before considering screen size, what is the distance between the wall and seating position? (deduct about 6" to allow for the mounting between wall and TV)

If the distance is less than 8 feet, there would be little in point in a 50" TV
Equally, if the distance is greater than 16 feet, then it may need to be larger than a 50" TV

edit :

It's going to be 4m away from the sofa

Apologies missed that post
4m / 12 feet is my seating position, a 50" is nearly perfect for viewing 1080p

 

[Bander]

Still looks a good deal. Panasonic TX-P50GT30B (TXP50GT30B) + TY-EW3D2LME Medium (TYEW3D2ME) 50inch 50GT30B TV + 3D Glasses Bundle Package Deal - Sound and Vision

There's a better deal on Amazon. Tv + 2 x glasses + 110BD = £1023.