The best 42" TV for around £600
Discussion
I ended up getting the Panasonic AS600 (42") and I'm really impressed with it!
http://www.johnlewis.com/panasonic-viera-tx-42as60...
It's a great looking thing, has loads of apps and plenty of Smart TV options. Above all, so far, I've been really impressed with the quality of the picture. It's much better than I had hoped. Which is good!
Not had chance to properly mess with the settings (there's plenty of them) but with a bit of tweaking, I'm sure that I'll be able to improve on the pre-programmed settings.
So yeah, really chuffed with it. At £620.00 (£80.00 cheaper than John Lewis), I think it was a bit of a bargain.
Thanks for all the posts though - much appreciated.
http://www.johnlewis.com/panasonic-viera-tx-42as60...
It's a great looking thing, has loads of apps and plenty of Smart TV options. Above all, so far, I've been really impressed with the quality of the picture. It's much better than I had hoped. Which is good!
Not had chance to properly mess with the settings (there's plenty of them) but with a bit of tweaking, I'm sure that I'll be able to improve on the pre-programmed settings.
So yeah, really chuffed with it. At £620.00 (£80.00 cheaper than John Lewis), I think it was a bit of a bargain.
Thanks for all the posts though - much appreciated.
LordHaveMurci said:
This thread & others similar has concerned me a little.
Keep thinking I should replace our 32" Panny CRT with a 40"< flatscreen but all this talk about replacing 3-5yr old sets has surprised me. Are they being replaced out of need or because there is something newer & shinier? Main reason for changing would be screen size & connectivity, love the picture quality of the CRT.
Don't want to shell out as much as £1200 only to find it has an average lifespan of 5yrs. Can see our 8yr old CRT going on for another 10yrs easily if that's the case!
I actually want my 7 yr old Panasonic 720p/1080i plasma to die so I can get a new one... It just keeps on going though! Keep thinking I should replace our 32" Panny CRT with a 40"< flatscreen but all this talk about replacing 3-5yr old sets has surprised me. Are they being replaced out of need or because there is something newer & shinier? Main reason for changing would be screen size & connectivity, love the picture quality of the CRT.
Don't want to shell out as much as £1200 only to find it has an average lifespan of 5yrs. Can see our 8yr old CRT going on for another 10yrs easily if that's the case!
I like those Sony ones listed and really I could do with another 12 inches.
I'm just about to order a new TV, before I order, is there anything better for the money than the below?
http://www.johnlewis.com/lg-42la620v-led-hd-1080p-...
Not overly fussed about the 3D, but the reviews appear positive.
http://www.johnlewis.com/lg-42la620v-led-hd-1080p-...
Not overly fussed about the 3D, but the reviews appear positive.
Here's a review....
http://www.hdtvtest.co.uk/news/kdl40w605b-20140423...
Only just released so not showing in many places yet.
http://www.hdtvtest.co.uk/news/kdl40w605b-20140423...
Only just released so not showing in many places yet.
gizlaroc said:
The new Sony 40W605b is the current winner.
This is a backlit TV rather than edgelit so you get a uniform backlight across the screen and not a load of clouding (darker and lighter patches) as you do with edgelit.
Have seen it for around £480.
Thanks, Looks like Currys do it for £479This is a backlit TV rather than edgelit so you get a uniform backlight across the screen and not a load of clouding (darker and lighter patches) as you do with edgelit.
Have seen it for around £480.
That LG is an IPS panel with no local dimming, so the blacks are...well grey.
Which gives the whole image a bit of a washed out look to it, OK for a conservatory, but watch at night and it is very poor.
The black levels are behind some sets from 10 years ago.
A review...
http://www.hdtvtest.co.uk/news/lg-42la620v-2013080...
Which gives the whole image a bit of a washed out look to it, OK for a conservatory, but watch at night and it is very poor.
The black levels are behind some sets from 10 years ago.
A review...
http://www.hdtvtest.co.uk/news/lg-42la620v-2013080...
gizlaroc said:
Here's a review....
http://www.hdtvtest.co.uk/news/kdl40w605b-20140423...
Only just released so not showing in many places yet.
Looks like a good review compared to the LG model. Would prefer to buy from either RicherSounds or John Lewis for the 5 year warranty.http://www.hdtvtest.co.uk/news/kdl40w605b-20140423...
Only just released so not showing in many places yet.
Apparently some Tesco stores have it in stock at £479, and they are doing a 5 year warranty on all TVs for the new few weeks, and offer a no quibble 28 day return on everything too.
I am going to have a look today.
I have got one of the best 50" Pioneer Kuro plasmas out there, I know this as it is my 3rd 5090 and I have had a 500M and it beats them all, plus I have calibrated a few for others.
It is clean as a whistle, as the Pioneers do tend to have some dither noise as that is how they do such good gradients, but this one has virtually none so is razor sharp, and because of that has real pop.
But I have decided to change the TV room in to a proper sitting room, so a small neat 40/42 lcd will be going in, and although I know it will not be any where as good image wise, I still find clouding, DSE (dirty screen effect from edge lit displays) and poor blacks something I can't live with.
The Sony 829 is meant to be great, but the 42" is not the same as the 50", it is actually a W705B with 3D, so no motionflow you can adjust, and as I don't want 3D I might as well buy the W705B, Richer Sounds £549, but I will get it from John Lewis.
But I think this W605B could be the one, slightly bigger bezel, but still nice looking, and backlit rather than edgelit, so shouldn't be any issues with DSE etc.
I have a Sony 40XE403 in the conservatory at the moment, I picked it up cheap as my Panasonic plasma in there struggles on really bright days, I bought a Panasonic E6 LCD, but that just didn't cut it, and the ambient sensor was too aggressive, made it too dark at night, so you were constantly adjusting the backlight depending on how dark the room was, a right pain.
The Sony light sensor is bang on, I leave the set on maximum and turn that on, then as it gets darker so does the image, with the lights off it drops to around 2-3, with a couple of lamps on around 4 and during the day between 8-10 depending how bright the room is, I never really notice it change which tells me it is good.
Also, the Sony sets have analogue audio out that is variable, or can be set to subwoofer, so I stick an old Rel Strata sub on then, this gives the TV decent enough sound without having to have loads of speakers.
I have given up with the house looking like a hifi store, I have a Yamaha sound bar if needed.
At the end of the day there is no high end 42/42" LCD display on the market from anyone, if you want decent processing, local dimming etc. etc. you have to go to at least 47".
I would have bought the 40" Loewe Art, but they have taken the audio outs off the sets this year, which is so annoying, to be fair they don't really need help, but I would have loved a sub out on it.
So I think weighing everything up and the things I can live with, because that is what buying a new TV seems to be these days, finding what faults you can live with, the Sony W605B might just be the best set out there, just happens it being the cheapest seems to be putting me off!
I am going to have a look today.
I have got one of the best 50" Pioneer Kuro plasmas out there, I know this as it is my 3rd 5090 and I have had a 500M and it beats them all, plus I have calibrated a few for others.
It is clean as a whistle, as the Pioneers do tend to have some dither noise as that is how they do such good gradients, but this one has virtually none so is razor sharp, and because of that has real pop.
But I have decided to change the TV room in to a proper sitting room, so a small neat 40/42 lcd will be going in, and although I know it will not be any where as good image wise, I still find clouding, DSE (dirty screen effect from edge lit displays) and poor blacks something I can't live with.
The Sony 829 is meant to be great, but the 42" is not the same as the 50", it is actually a W705B with 3D, so no motionflow you can adjust, and as I don't want 3D I might as well buy the W705B, Richer Sounds £549, but I will get it from John Lewis.
But I think this W605B could be the one, slightly bigger bezel, but still nice looking, and backlit rather than edgelit, so shouldn't be any issues with DSE etc.
I have a Sony 40XE403 in the conservatory at the moment, I picked it up cheap as my Panasonic plasma in there struggles on really bright days, I bought a Panasonic E6 LCD, but that just didn't cut it, and the ambient sensor was too aggressive, made it too dark at night, so you were constantly adjusting the backlight depending on how dark the room was, a right pain.
The Sony light sensor is bang on, I leave the set on maximum and turn that on, then as it gets darker so does the image, with the lights off it drops to around 2-3, with a couple of lamps on around 4 and during the day between 8-10 depending how bright the room is, I never really notice it change which tells me it is good.
Also, the Sony sets have analogue audio out that is variable, or can be set to subwoofer, so I stick an old Rel Strata sub on then, this gives the TV decent enough sound without having to have loads of speakers.
I have given up with the house looking like a hifi store, I have a Yamaha sound bar if needed.
At the end of the day there is no high end 42/42" LCD display on the market from anyone, if you want decent processing, local dimming etc. etc. you have to go to at least 47".
I would have bought the 40" Loewe Art, but they have taken the audio outs off the sets this year, which is so annoying, to be fair they don't really need help, but I would have loved a sub out on it.
So I think weighing everything up and the things I can live with, because that is what buying a new TV seems to be these days, finding what faults you can live with, the Sony W605B might just be the best set out there, just happens it being the cheapest seems to be putting me off!
gizlaroc said:
That LG is an IPS panel with no local dimming, so the blacks are...well grey.
Which gives the whole image a bit of a washed out look to it, OK for a conservatory, but watch at night and it is very poor.
The black levels are behind some sets from 10 years ago.
A review...
http://www.hdtvtest.co.uk/news/lg-42la620v-2013080...
From looking at reviews online, it appears that it's difficult to wall mount flush? Think I'm heading down the route of the Panasonic that's mentioned above. £620 price matched at John Lewis.Which gives the whole image a bit of a washed out look to it, OK for a conservatory, but watch at night and it is very poor.
The black levels are behind some sets from 10 years ago.
A review...
http://www.hdtvtest.co.uk/news/lg-42la620v-2013080...
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