Should I worry about TV settings in store?

Well, obviously a good way to pick out a TV for yourself is to go in-store and see for yourself which ones you like.

But, should I ever worry about the settings on the TV (stuff like brightness and contrast ratio)? Incompetent staff that make a good TV look worse than it is? Is this something I should worry about, and if so which stores should I avoid? I have a friend who walked in to get a Panasonic LXD70 and came out to get a Samsung TV. That surprised me because I always thought that Panasonic TV's were generally a whole class higher than Samsung.

 

It's not just the settings of course, the subtle replacement of the skyHD HDMI cable with an RF feed is another easy way of making a good TV appear rubbish. Settings wise, what looks good in the shop under a sea of flourescent light is nowhere near right for home use. It's a minefield. Mind you, what some folks think is good at home is truly mind boggling, I see it every day. 99% of CRT TVs still have way better picures than LCDs, which are realistically jiust lifestyle toys that take up less room. However, as most people are not that picky, and they have so many other advantages, we all buy them anyway. You are likely to find the Panasonic more pleasing at home IMHO, let alone if anything should go wrong, but as you have surmised, it's hard to draw any conclusions from a 20 minute visit to your local Currys. And as there is absolutely no margin or future for independents selling the things, it's the best you can do.

 

Good point, I forgot about that!