HDTV's under £450

[MattZani]

Hi,

i got a PS3 on launch , and have been playing it on my parents 40" Sony Bravia, now the problem i have is, i only have a 14" SD TV in my room, and really want to go to HD so that i can play when my parents are watching TV, and i get a better picture.

I'm currently looking at a Samsung, biggest 26", but is there any more TV's that are 26" and under £430? What im looking for in a TV is:

Atleast 1 HDMI port.
Component.
2 Scarts.
VGA/D-Sub input for PC.
Some pretty good speakers.
Good response time for games.
Built in free-view tuner (with analouge capable aswell).
Atleast 720p, but hopefully 1080i.
Black finish is a must.
No common problems.

The reason i have been attracted to the samsung, is because its stated that it supports PC and has a 3.5 jack for sound, has a game mode for faster response (does that work?), looks good (shiny black to match PS3) Newer models available hopefully pushing the price down, light sensor to adjust backlight (once again, does this work?) and had good reviews.

I would prefer to go for a mainstream well known brand, rather than wharfedale etc. and obviously the cheaper the better, but not too cheap, i do want good build quality, and something thats gonna last me atleast until i move out (around 5 years)

The TV needs to be PC compatible, because im selling my HP Monitor (6 months old, 19" Widescreen, DVI + D-Sub inputs if anyone interested!) to get enough cash, and because i don't have enough room for both! and i've heard if i run my PC through HDMI with convertors, the picture goes fuzzy because the PC Doesn't like the Resolution.

A one other questions, are 1.3 HDMI Tv's out yet? because if possible, i want to get the best i can, because its gonna have to last me!

Thanks in advance!

Matt

 

[MattZani]

Update:

Went into Curry's and Comet Today (big mistake) and saw the TV im looking at, but have got a little confused.

In Curry's the Samsung they had was the model with the blue 'V' at the bottom, but in Comet, they'res had a silver 'V' at the bottom, is there any spec differences? because they're the same price!

I have decided on this tv:

Mainly because it gave a very good picture in the store, has a good lot of options, including PIP, Game Mode, PC In, Hidden Speakers, Digital Optical Out, And the remote feels very comfortable (if you spend alot of time changing settings, you'll know how important that is!)

Is this a good choice? What are your experiences with it? (doesn't have to be the 26" version) Is there anything better for the money?

Sorry for all the questions, but buying (personally) an HDTV is a new experience, and i like to know exactly what i'm buying.

Thanks

Matt

 

[MattZani]

so no one can help me? i don't want to spend £400 only to find its not the best/its cheaper elsewhere!

Matt

 

[MattZani]

Ok, went to my Hi-Fi shop today, and found this : http://www.weymouthhifi.co.uk/website/panasonic/panasonic%20tx26lmd70.htm
it has a 7500:1 Contrast Rate, VGA on the back, 2 HDMI Ports, supports 1080p!, looks really nice, has digital optical out, 2 scarts, free-view and analouge tuner, PIP i think, And i may be able to get a deal because its cheaper on the net!

So, what does everyone think? the cheaper samsung, or the more expensive Panasonic?

Matt