New to LCD! Can someone suggest what to look for?

Timmy C

Distinguished Member
Joined
Oct 10, 2003
Messages
7,972
Reaction score
1,822
Points
1,604
Age
51
I know nothing about LCD tvs but my mum has decided she doesn't like her chunky old 28 inch Sony so I'm looking to get her an LCD. I need a screen no bigger than 28" and it need's to be good but at the same time it's just for watching freeview tv and the occasional dvd (no home cinema set up) so I don't want to get too carried away!

I don't know which are the popular makes when it comes to LCD so I'm hoping some of you can make recommendations and let me know roughly what I should be looking to pay. Also if you could tell me what to look out for or avoid I'd be grateful

Thanks for your help!
 
a 26" LCD should give roughly the same viewable screen area as a 28" CRT (give or take) and personally I'd recommend a sharp. The GA3/GA4 are very popular models around here although finding them is apparently becoming a little hard. If you aren't interested in DVI input or removable speaker ( which it sounds like you're not) then perhaps the replllacement GA5 model might be of interest.
 
Thanks, that sounds suitable. Never bought anything by Sharp before but I'll have a look at the reviews. I take it the sizes on these tvs are pretty standard and if so what's the next size up from a 26"?

Also wondering if Sony or Panasonic make a rival to the Sharp and how people think it compares?

Thanks again!
 
Hitachi make a very nice 28" the 28ld5200 sells for just under 1k.
 
Hi Timmy C.
I didnt know that much about LCD's until recnelty either, ive now bought myself one and am very happy with it. When looking for a product i did some reserach into what i should look for. I personally was looking for a screen that did everything i wanted and i had a fairly felxible budget, i dont know what your requirments are in this context. However i do belive that the below might be helpful to you in your endevours:

Pixel response time, this is the time taken for each individual pixel to turn on and off. It’s quoted in milliseconds and basically the faster the better. I personally wouldn’t buy anything that was over 16ms but I’d imagine it’s down to personal preference. Basically if the panel has a slow response time you will see a visible blurring of the image as it moves (ever seen one of the really old game boys in action?).

Resolution, (amount of pixels that make up the screen) not too important now as most modern screens of half-decent quality will have a high resolution but if you want to get hi-def TV (a standard of television using a much higher resolution equalling much sharper/detailed picture, coming soon!) in the coming years you will need at least 1280x768.

Connectivity, While most screens will come with your standard SCARTS and RF connectors, look out for screens with DVI inputs and/or HDMI inputs. These are all-digital connections to your screen which offer the highest possible quality connection when used with another device outputting via the same technology. HDMI and some DVI screen connectors will also carry the new security information (HDCP) which will be transmitted with UK hi-def broadcasts (according to sky). Basically, if the screen doesn’t support HDCP (high definition content protection), you will not be able to view content from broadcasters who use this system. Also, some devices (such as Xbox) use the component plugs for hi-def, so these could come in handy if your screen uses it.

Dead pixel policy, it is not uncommon for one or more pixels on your screen to get stuck on an individual colour or in the off position - for ever! This sometimes get irritating if you notice it all the time as basically whenever u view the screen there will be a dot that always stays the same. The pixels are tiny so from a distance they are often not noticeable. It could be good piece of mind to check the dead pixel policy on a screen before you buy as many manufacturers will replace your screen depending on how many pixels are stuck, on what colour and whereabouts on the screen. This will be most handy if suddenly a few pixels get stuck right in the middle of the screen!

I might have gone a bit over the top here but they are points to consider when spending the amount of money some LCDs cost. Plus it'd good fun watching the Currys guy panic when he realises he doesnt know what ur on about!
 
djsat2, thanks for that! That's the sort of info I was looking for! Last time I went into a Sony centre they told me Component or rgb scart connection was a waste of time for dvd and s-video was the way to go! Needless to say I just laughed and walked out but I was worried people would try and feed me the same rubbish when buying an lcd so this info should help. Much appreciated!
 
no problem, I’m only an amateur a/v geek so there might be something more that some of the more knowledgeable users can say also.
 

The latest video from AVForums

Is 4K Blu-ray Worth It?
Subscribe to our YouTube channel
Back
Top Bottom