Whats the best LCD Flat Panel TV for £1500

I

iantib

Guest
Hi,
My TOSH CRT has blown up (lightening strike) and the insurance replacement value is £1500. So can anyone recommend a LCD Flat Panel Television for £1500 ish.

We dont currently have freeview but are thinking about it, is it better to get a seperate freeview box or go for a tv that has a built in one?

Thanks

p.s. The man from the insurance company recomended a Toshiba 37wl66p.

what do you guys recommend?

Thanks very much
 
Nice budget lol.

You have two options, the BRAVIA 40" V series and 46" S series. Both LCDs are grate but the V series is superior. The V series uses the next gen CCFL backlighting to increase red and green color gamut and give you the ability to customize the picture to your liking.

If you like picture over size then 40" V series is perfect. However, if you like size over picture, 46" S series is more suitable.


PS: Are you interested in PDP?
 
Ohh sorry. I dont know much about LCD or Plasma, but did read an article in one of the sunday papers saying that nowadays plasma isnt as good as lcd pound for pound. Thats why I'd deided on lcd over plasma.

The article basically said stick with lcd as apposed to plasma. Sonded like the old vhs over betamax debate in that betamax was the best but never got off the ground.
 
iantib said:
Ohh sorry. I dont know much about LCD or Plasma, but did read an article in one of the sunday papers saying that nowadays plasma isnt as good as lcd pound for pound. Thats why I'd deided on lcd over plasma.

The article basically said stick with lcd as apposed to plasma. Sonded like the old vhs over betamax debate in that betamax was the best but never got off the ground.

The moral of the story is don't believe everything you read in the newspapers ;)
 
lol

PDPs are superior to current LCD in terms of picture quality, pixel failure, black levels, response time and viewing angle.

Download the attached document cos it contains a list of current Panasonic and Pioneer PDPs under £2000

Also, feel free to checkout my guide (click here)
 
Nielo TM said:
Both LCDs are grate but the V series is superior. The V series uses the next gen CCFL backlighting to increase red and green color gamut and give you the ability to customize the picture to your liking.

The V series is essentially an S with different backlight but the WCG-CCFL backlight can have both positive and negative effects to the picture:

From our point of view, with current display quality (we use them all year long for our tests) we were less impressed by the deeper colors than by the gap with reality. Sony speaks of "more natural" colors but this wasn´t what we saw at all. This doesn´t mean however that they weren´t deeper as our colorimeter confirmed:

http://www.behardware.com/articles/...neration-of-monitors-extended-gammut-led.html
 
Nielo TM said:
PDPs are superior to current LCD in terms of picture quality, pixel failure, black levels, response time and viewing angle.

That's only half the truth. Plasmas due to the protective glass often have reflections due to lighting or sunlight and that means they are more suitable for dark rooms. Also LCDs still have an edge in HD picture quality.
 
Yannis said:
The V series is essentially an S with different backlight but the WCG-CCFL backlight can have both positive and negative effects to the picture:

From our point of view, with current display quality (we use them all year long for our tests) we were less impressed by the deeper colors than by the gap with reality. Sony speaks of "more natural" colors but this wasn´t what we saw at all. This doesn´t mean however that they weren´t deeper as our colorimeter confirmed:

http://www.behardware.com/articles/...neration-of-monitors-extended-gammut-led.html

lol, that’s my favorite site and yes, I did read the article. For some reason, when I saw it, it seems slightly better but it’s the advanced control that I like lol.
 
Yannis said:
That's only half the truth. Plasmas due to the protective glass often have reflections due to lighting or sunlight and that means they are more suitable for dark rooms. Also LCDs still have an edge in HD picture quality.

ya I know, and it has serious impact on contrast levels but the PQ is more natural on the PDP
 
I think unless you guys know of any reason why I shouldnt :lesson: the one I'm going to go for is Toshiba 42WLT66. What do you think :lease:
 
Nielo TM said:
ya I know, and it has serious impact on contrast levels but the PQ is more natural on the PDP

I'm not sure if it's more natural or closer to CRT picture which everyone has been used to all those years. And you know what they say: you can't teach an old dog new tricks.:D

BTW nice work with your HDTV guide.:smashin:
 
iantib said:
I think unless you guys know of any reason why I shouldnt :lesson: the one I'm going to go for is Toshiba 42WLT66. What do you think :lease:

I've been reading these forums for ages and am still waiting for the perfect TV. My savings accounts sends me its thanks every month. However, I have been reading around carefully. I'm sure that the perfect TV isn't out yet, but from everything I've heard the current Tosh ranges are a safe bet. You won't get all the bells and whistles, but you should get a decent TV with most of what you want.

One other possibility: my mother's new TV is a Sharp, which we chose partly because Sharp has a reputation for getting the best out of the existing analogue signal, and partly because we were really impressed by the PQ in a black and white film on video which we took along (really dark scenes in B&W are a real test of an LCD). I would suggest that you look at the things you actually want to use the TV for - whether it's LotR, The Incredibles, EastEnders or Brief Encounter. Then find a video or two on your shelves (or that of your nearest rental shop) and go somewhere and ask them to let you see the videos on your chosen screens.

I believe that the Toshiba model you list has a digital tuner in it. A word, then of warning. You can set up the system so that your TV can supply a digital signal to your video, but this will have serious repercussions for your videoing pattern. I strongly suggest that you try to get very clear instructions as to the wiring from someone whose competence you trust. I'm still trying to sort out all the instructions for my mother, who has just got a new LCD. You may find that you need a separate digital tuner for your recording needs.

The other issue you may need to address is the question of size. Many smaller living rooms are best served by 37" screens, if everyday TV is your top priority. If you like immersing yourself in blockbuster films, then you may find 42" just the thing. Being loomed over by Darth Vader is quite appropriate, but do you want to feel menaced by Graham Norton?

If your insurer has given you money (and not Dixons/Currys vouchers) then consider going to John Lewis -- if asked in advance they might set up a DVD for you, and when you buy it you'll get decent after sales service, including help when you can't get the settings right.

Good luck

db
 
Thanks for the reply. My room is 16ft x 25ft and the nearest chair to he tv will be 9ft away. I think that because of my lack of knowledge of the lct / plasma tv systems I may not have asked an important question.....

What is the best lcd tv for a normal analogue arial signal?

Unfortunatly I have found out from he insurance company that its £1500 COMET vouchers. I can have cash if I dont want to use COMET, but only £900.

A guy at work who seems to know a bit about tv's said that he wouldnt buy a tv for the next 3 years because he said the resolutions wernt good enough at the moment. He advised me to rent, but its no use to me as i have the comet vouchers!!
 
iantib said:
A guy at work who seems to know a bit about tv's said that he wouldnt buy a tv for the next 3 years because he said the resolutions wernt good enough at the moment. He advised me to rent, but its no use to me as i have the comet vouchers!!

That is his opinion and he is entitled to it! :rolleyes:

You will find that any HD LCD you get will have adequate resolution for your purposes. I have yet to see the difference between a current HD ready 720p set and the now coming to market 1080p sets. (in simple terms this is an increase in resolution from 720 lines in the picture to 1080.) I have seen the difference on 6-7ft projection screens and I cannot imagine it will make much difference to a lay-man on a 40ish" display. If you are using it for DVD or terrestrial TV it is almost irrelevant as the source you will be feeding is not as high resolution as the display itself.

Have you been into Comet to take a look? You might not like the styling of some of the sets so that will take them off your list.

Comet might also do some packages with stands or DVD recorders etc for £1500. The Samsung LE40R74BD is a very nice set for the money. Currys have some package deals for these not sure about Comet though.

Good luck and let us know how you get on.

(Just about to replace my Tosh 36" CRT. Can you arrange a lightning strike here :thumbsup: )
 
I went into my local comet, but the staff were less than helpful. They didnt have the 42" on diplay but they did have the smaller model. All the tv's were playing a digital demo and while I was watching a diver dived from a springboard into the water. I noticed on the Toshiba one horizontal lines where the splash should have been. I asked for that scene to be replayed so I could watch it again on another tv to see if that one did the same, but he said they had no control over it and I would have to wait for the scene to come round again. I then asked how long that would be and he answered "dunno, maybe an hour or so" and walked off !! I asked another salesman if I could see it via an analogue signal and he said "no" so we left :thumbsdow
 
iantib said:
Thanks for the reply. My room is 16ft x 25ft and the nearest chair to he tv will be 9ft away. I think that because of my lack of knowledge of the lct / plasma tv systems I may not have asked an important question.....

Yes, this is important. If you sit too close to a digital picture you will probably see a very "grainy" picture. Find a shop (any shop) which does have a normal aerial feed through it, and then stand very close to really big screen. PQ (Picture Quality) is terrible.

In your own house the result need not be so dire, as you can at any rate set up your screen to maximise the PQ from your signal and to your preferences.

This need not be such an issue for those viewing real HD (High Definition) pictures - which is one reason why some stores use a rolling demo of HD pictures, so that you will see the TV at its best.

For some ideas as to the importance of viewing distance, go to the main forum screen and use the search facility to find recent posts on "viewing distance". Be prepared for a long read. Personal opinion? At 9' a 32" screen would be quite big enough for everyday TV. A 37" TV would be entirely appropriate - especially if you like watching movies. If you get out to a range above 13', then you can use 42" screen or even - if you really want the home cinema experience - 50."

iantib said:
What is the best lcd tv for a normal analogue arial signal?

General opinion is that Sharp comes out best, but new Sharps are not quite as good as the old ones were. Most of the main contenders for your £1500 will handle analogue OK - providing that you don't sit too close to a large screen, and don't want to watch a lot of football on ITV.

iantib said:
A guy at work who seems to know a bit about tv's said that he wouldnt buy a tv for the next 3 years because he said the resolutions wernt good enough at the moment. He advised me to rent, but its no use to me as i have the comet vouchers!!

He has a point, but not, I think, a good enough one. Wait for the technology to improve, and you will never stop waiting. However, you could get a cheaper TV (perhaps a 32" Tosh WLT66 or a Samsung LE32R74BDX - both listed a £999)you could spend the rest on a sound system update or an HDD DVD. Then when the "new" technology really DOES come out - and it could be more the 3 years - you will at least have one piece of kit that might not need renewing. Or you might even buy new a washing machine.

On the whole, and without any knowledge of your habits (and No, I don't want a quick look) I'd stand by my recommendation of a 37" Toshiba WLT66 - note the T after the WL: that tells you it's got a digital tuner - it makes a difference. The latest generation of Samsung, R7 in the middle of the model number, also have their fans. If you are really a movie buff wanting to be able to fill that room with the home cinema experience, then get a 42" screen.

There are those who will tell you that a 40" Sony would be just the thing, but I have a thing about Sony as a company - starting with, but not confined to, their attitude to customer support - and I don't recommend them whenever there's an alternative. You would also have to shell out more money, which you might or might not want to do.

Look around some more - a local John Lewis if you have one, Curry's etc, and see what other TVs look like. Check that you do want an LCD and not a plasma or rear projection set. It's your eyes that will have to put up with the result of your decisions - if you have someone else whose tastes matter, then take them along as well.

db
 

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