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