HD retailers - Comet vs Currys

Personally I wouldn't shop in either - we all know there are better quality and better value retailers around.

However, at my local retail park last night for something else, I did a quick look inside both Comet and Currys as they are next to each other.

The contrast between the two was stark.

Currys had no HD feeds. Despite having several "HD Ready" sets on display, all sets were displaying the standard shop feed.
Worse still, Currys had big "HD Ready" display notices on several sets that are not HD ready - namely SD plasma sets of low resolution.

Meanwhile, in contrast Comet had a new (to me) dedicated HD feed going to the HD Ready sets. This was showing a Comet specific loop of HD material with comet logo and advertising. There was no misleading use of the HD Ready logo I could see. They also had a Sagem with its own HD feed(a loop of Ferrari F1).

Interestingly, Comet also had a Panasonic HD plasma with its own feed. At first I assumed it was HD feed as it looked very nice at the distance I was viewing it from, but on closer inspection it turned out to be a Panasonic produced SD DVD, but played back on a Samsung HD850 DVD player upscaled and connected via HDMI. This was actually very useful to me as I like many I guess have a library of existing DVDs I will be watching on any new HD panel I get. (I assume the use of the Samsung was Comet's doing, else presumably Panasonic would have used their own S97)

 

where was this comet store sounds worth a visit ?

 

farnborough

 

The Comet store I went into the other day had an excellent HDTV display, showing sky Hidef demo material from a media pc, through a 6 port HDMI splitter to 6 LCD displays. This demo allowed me to choose the samsung lcd I wanted so I went over to the internet and bought it for 400 quid less than it was instore

It also had a display showing a large DLP screen running normal resolution dvds but through an HDMI interface. And finally another DLP showing a slightly older Hidef Demo.

 

That will encourage Comet to keep doing it

 

John Lewis normally has nice displays. local panasonic shop down my way has QualiTV HD feeds from euro satellites, looks amazing

 

Isnt comparing Curry's to Comet like comparing the squits with a clagtangler?

 

I went into John Lewis in High Wycombe yesterday - was disapponted to see most of the HD LCDs were on analogue RF only, so picture quality comparison was impossible. They did have 3 Panasonics (1 LCD, 2 Plasma) on a HD demo feed - must admit that did look fantastic.

I've also just been to Comet in Farnborough. Interesting to be able to compare 6 different HD LCDs is parallel. I liked the LG - anyone have any experience of it?

Dave

 

Comet in Stockport had a really nice HD display over the weekend, running their own video loop which looked purpose made to sell HD.

The techie had just finished putting it together, and it looked stunning... really showed up their SD displays (RF multiplexed over about 50 TVs) as having a totally crap signal.

The salesdroids were standing around looking bemused.. I don't think they've ever seen TV look that good before

 

Yes - I know what you mean. I've only really been looking at integrated freeview devices so this hasn't been an issue. I can't remember the last time I watched an analogue off-air picture - but I understand your annoyance if the TV you are interested in doesn't have an RGB feed from a Sky or Freeview set top box if it isn't an IDTV.

 

The John Lewis in Oxford Street has a Sharp 45" LCD, Panasonic 42" plasma and Sagem 45" DLP all showing high definition.

 

Visited a Comet in Stoke-on-Trent yesterday. I too was very surprised to see that they had six (count 'em) HD displays (LCD and plasma) set up receiving a HD demo from a pc using a 1:6 HDMI distribution amp. Who knows, the advent of HDTV may finally lead to high street ectrical stores show decent pictures in their showrooms! They weren't quite up there at 100%, as the sets were all very obviously in need of basic calibration, as they all had noticably different colour representation and contrast settings. Still streets ahead of the usual rubbish on display!

 

Comet in Gloucester has 6 HD Ready displays (5 LCD including Samsung, Philips and Toshiba and a Pioneer Plasma) being fed from a 6-way HDMI distribution amplifier. I couldn't see exactly what source was feeding all this but it included some actual Sky HD promotional material, including football and natural history type documentary.

The big problem was that, whilst the pictures were, for the most part, very sharp, there was a great deal of blocking and pixellation, particularly around the edges. I hope this is merely a problem with this source material or the particularl set up!! I suspect it may have been an upconverted DVD or similar.


Tim

 

The Comet store near me has a Sagem with a HD feed but its from a media centre PC and is showing WMV HD so it might not be the best way to judge a screen.

I don't wish to offend anyone but I would never ask for advice from either a Currys or Comets sales person as I have found that they really do not have a clue about what there selling, but that might just be the sales staff that I have dealt with in the past.

Its about time though that Currys, Comets and Dixons got there acts together don't they realise that they might sell more HD models if they actually had decent feeds to the screens. It really bugs me when you are looking at a screen thats capable of greatness and they have a crappy freeview feed thats on every damned telly.

 

I had quite a contrasting weekend in searching for my new TV. Comet in Luton had one HD ready set - I believe it was the Sagem. This was showing SD material. Comet in Milton Keynes had a much larger range of HD sets, most showing a loop of HD material. The Sagem was showing HD material through an associated box (with a big "THIS IS THE PROPERTY OF SAGEM LTD sticker on the front!)

In the end I went for the Samsung 46incher. Even though it was showing SD material it looked great.

 

The Sagems I've seen are running from a dedicated PC unit (NEC I think), running a WMVHD loop. This is in several shops.

I too saw the Sky HD demo loop at Comet. Was running from a PC, using a DVI to HDMI cable into the distribution amp.

craigdyer - I'm with you on that one. I only visit these shops for a look at the sets 'in the flesh'. Actually do the buying elsewhere!

 

It's not very often I feel sorry for Comet/Currys, but if everybody that goes in there and ask's for a demo, walks out after making a choice and buys online, why should they bloody bother

 

They should charge more competitive prices then! Can live without the advice (that's what the Forums are for!), but it's the hole in the wallet that I object to.

 

You try being competitive against a sole trader on the internet when you have hundreds of megastores all over the country and thousands of employees, impossible. Don't get me wrong, Currys and Comet aren't perfect, but if they set up HD feeds to their screens only to have hundreds of perps walk in, get a demo, then strut back out again and buy it for £500 less from soletrader.com, you gotta feel for the poor sods

 

Dixons group turnover and profits are both up on previous year.
So don't feel too sorry for them.

 

LOL, I'm defending Comet and Currys, damn gotta take my medication... MATRON

 

No. They have hundreds of megastores to shift boxes quickly. They don't offer much (if anything) in the way of useful advice to compare different items, or (in the case of TVs) set them up properly. This HD stuff is just a bonus, and they are still only plugging in a box - just happens to be a HD, digital box so not much to muck up.

If it was sevenoaks or similar, I'd see your point.

Their online prices are sometimes pretty good though (comet etc)

 

I went into the local Sevenoaks last week to view what they had HD LCD wise - and it was nothing. Plenty of '"yeah, we're going to get a couple in for demo, but won't be for a few weeks".

In the end I bought from an independent (futurehome) - why? well they're local to me so could visit their shop, the owner was willing to spend sometime talking through the options, I could see a correctly set up LCD tv in action, they were only marginally more expensive than the cheapest off the internet and it was instant gratification - I walked out with the set So far very happy with what I got (Sammy 32" plus HD 950 DVD)

So as far as I'm concerned Sevenoaks have missed the boat

Dave

 

I live near Futurehome too (presume you mean the one in Wokingham).

Funny, but I was thinking of paying them a visit. When I have walked past them before I thought they were mainly an upmarket installer. But I recently came across their website and they seem to be competitive across a wide range of products, with the convenience of being a local store.

Thanks for posting a positive note about them.
BTW, did they offer any form of extended guarantee?

 

Loz, yes it was the one in Wokingham.

They don't have a huge amount on display, and it tends to be at the larger end of the market. Their stock is as it appears on the web site (i.e. that says what's in stock). Worth visiting if you're in the area.

I didn't ask about extended warranties (nor did they try to sell me one) - it's the sort of thing I'll buy cheaper else where.

Dave

 

What do you think you will need to pay for a warranty on the samsung plasma.

John Lewis have it for £1995 inc 5 year warranty.

That leaves £300 to pay for a warranty on the Samsung if I buy from Futurehome.

 

First of all I'm likely to extend the warranty by 1 or 2 years at the most, and I bought a LCD for <£1000. From somewhere like http://www.warrantydirect.co.uk/ I'll be looking at about £50/yr (there are one or two other warranty sites - try a google). This compares with £175 for additional 2 yrs from say comet for the same item.

Of course if you can get JL to price match (down to £1650 in the example you mention) then that would be a cheap way of buying the warranty

Dave

 

warrantydirect wanted £299 a year for a Samsung Plasma.
That makes JLs free 5 year warranty worth £1200 (4 years post manufacturers 1 year)