best (not too big) HD telly + prog recorder combo

[tonym911]

Watching Frozen Planet last night on the 32in Bravia non-HD made me angry that we didn't have a better telly to view it with. The Sony is decent but I know there's better, just not sure what's the sharpest reasonably priced HD TV of that same sort of size (or not too much bigger), and what's the best recording option? We don't have or want anything to do with Virgin or Sky and can't have a dish anyway.

[HellDiver]

Any HD ready TV and a Humax FreeviewHD PVR (assuming you can get FreeviewHD where you are).

[tonym911]

We've got Freeview, dunno if it's HD or not, I'll have a see if there's owt on tinternet to tell me.
Read about those Humaxes but people seem to either love them or hate them, wasn't there a problem with the software at one point?

[tonym911]

Apparently we do have Freeview HD available. If whatever telly we buy has Freeview HD built in, presumably that means we don't need it in the recorder too?

[tank slapper]

You need an HD recorder if you want to record HD, unless the TV has recording facilities built in.

[tonym911]

That makes sense, thanks. Must say I find this whole area a bit bamboozling, probs would have taken the plunge a while back if the manufacturers made it a bit easier to understand what they're offering exactly.

[tonym911]

Amazon does the Humax Fox T2 for £253 -
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Humax-HDR-FOX-T2-Recorder-...

So why is this Humax Fox T2 from Tesco only £89.97? It looks the same!
http://www.freeview.co.uk/freeview/HD

[tonym911]

UNless you go to Tesco's website when the Humax becomes £299.97??!
http://direct.tesco.com/search/default.aspx?search...

Confused!

[tonym911]

what's the difference between 'HD ready' and full HD?

[y2blade]

tonym911 said:

what's the difference between 'HD ready' and full HD?

As I understand it one is full HD (1080p) the other is probably 720p or 1080i
No doubt some AV geek will be along to correct me I'm sure..........but I'm not far off

[tonym911]

Wonder if it means that if you get the signal through a full HD recorder or Freeview box, your 'HD ready' telly will become 'full HD'?

[Council Baby]

720p and 1080p are both HD ready. For marketing purposes they also refer to 1080p as full HD. Freeview HD doesn't broadcast in 1080p so you'll only be getting a 720p or a 1080i signal anyway.

1080p - blu ray, although it's debatable how much you'll notice depending on screen size and viewing distance.

Most screens are 1080p now anyway and if you're spending the money you may as well go for that.

[cjs]

Keeping things simple. Make sure you buy a TV with a built in Freeview HD receiver so you can watch the HD channels. These can be more expensive then TV's with non HD tuners but it's worth the extra money.

Don't worry about 'HD Ready' 720/1080p/1080i, it's all irrelevant for normal viewing, just get a TV that you see the best picture on.

As for recorders (PVR's). Again spend the money and get one with an HD tuner. Humax are ok, or though I have never liked the electronic programming guides (EPEG), I have always found them a bit clunky.

[croyde]

I took ages to take the plunge as I love my old CRT tellys but had to buy a new one a month or so ago and went for the Panasonic Plasma 42ins, a G30.

With an HD feed, and it does have an internal Freeview HD tuner, the pictures are brilliant and although everyone in the family first thought that 42 ins was too big, our old one being a 28ins, we have got used to it now and have even wondered if we should have gone bigger

Be warned, I was shocked at how bad a lot of SD pictures now look on the HD screen and in fact I can't bear to watch them so only tend to pick the HD channels off the Sky+ HD box.

I bought the telly from Richer Sounds for £599, which seemed pretty reasonable, especially as I have an old Sanyo telly that I bought back in the late 80s for £500. Still going strong tho'.

Check Panasonic shops as well as they do deals every now and then and throw in a 5 year warranty.

Edited by croyde on Thursday 3rd November 10:41