TV recommendations for £500-£600

[Ecosseven]

I’ve got £500-£600 to spend on a new TV and am looking for advice. My current TV is a 28” Toshiba CRT and has served me well for the last 14 years. I’m not sure where to start really apart from knowing that I want either a 40” or 42” set. A few questions

1. LED, LCD or Plasma?
2. LG, Samsung, Sony, Toshiba or someone else?
3. Are most TV’s 100 Hertz or 200 Hertz?
4. Is free view normally built in?
5. Is 1080 HD the norm these days?
6. Is there much difference in sound quality?
7. Where is the best place to buy? Amazon? Tesco? Curry’s? Dixons? Comet?

What else do I need to consider?

Thanks.

[TEKNOPUG]

Ecosseven said:

I’ve got £500-£600 to spend on a new TV and am looking for advice. My current TV is a 28” Toshiba CRT and has served me well for the last 14 years. I’m not sure where to start really apart from knowing that I want either a 40” or 42” set. A few questions

1. LED, LCD or Plasma?
2. LG, Samsung, Sony, Toshiba or someone else?
3. Are most TV’s 100 Hertz or 200 Hertz?
4. Is free view normally built in?
5. Is 1080 HD the norm these days?
6. Is there much difference in sound quality?
7. Where is the best place to buy? Amazon? Tesco? Curry’s? Dixons? Comet?

What else do I need to consider?

Thanks.

I'm surprised this hasn't been covered before......

1. LCD is thin and has low power use, LED (backlight only, not true LED)it thinner still. Plasma, thicker, more power usage but superior
picture especially with SD signals and motion (sports etc)

2. Panasonic are considered the best panels. Pays yer money, takes yer choice...

3. Depends but probably not a big consideration
4. Usually - have a look at some models

5. Yes but you won't appreciate it without sitting very close or getting a huge screen.

6. Sound quality will probably be below your CRT as the panels don't have a large cabinet to house speakers. If SQ is important consider investing in an AV Receiver and speakers

7. Costco from my experience. Shop around, most of the big stores will price-match. Or look to Richer Sounds for discontinued models.

So in summary, buy the best 42" Panasonic Plasma you can afford/find.

[croyde]

Richer Sounds, Panasonic Plasma G30 42 ins is what I went for after debating for about 2 years as I hadn't seen a picture on a flat panel that was as good as my old Philips CRT 28 ins.

All in the eye of the beholder but I felt that the plasma gave a nicer picture that was similar to my old CRT. I find the LED/LCDs too in your face.

[dave_s13]

I found the picture on my LCD improved significantly when I went through the menus and turned ALL the picture enhancing features, nose reduction, colour correction bks.

Those functions might give you a fractionally better picture with an HD feed but seem to enhance the crap bits of a lower quality SD feed.

[danneth]

M3donuts said:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B004QWYPOA/ref=...

Next.

This

[TEKNOPUG]

Bare in mind that looking at TV's in your typical electrical shop will have no resemblance to how they will appear at home. Hence super saturated colours and all the settings switched to ON to attract you to screens under UV light, showing Pixar films from a single source.

[joe_90]

The best panny plasma you can afford.

[Ecosseven]

I'm confused...............

If a TV has freeview HD does that mean it is full HD?

If a TV is advertised as having full HD but does not have a freeview HD tuner is it in fact only HD ready?

I have SKY although not sure if that makes any difference?

[TEKNOPUG]

HD Ready is 720 and Full HD is 1080 resolution. Nothing to do with built in Freeview/ Freesat etc

[MagicalTrevor]

Can I just ask, at the same budget, would you get a Panasonic 42ST30 or the 42G30?

I have no current interest in 3D movies, I find the glasses flicker too much. However I've heard that the 2D performance of 3D TVs is better than the non-3D variety.

What do I get in the G30 that I don't get from the ST30?

[mids]

MagicalTrevor said:

What do I get in the G30 that I don't get from the ST30?

The Panasonic compare feature answers that question.

http://www.panasonic.co.uk/html/en_GB/287749/modul...

Richer Sounds are selling the 42G30 for £569 at the moment but you can get it for £499 if you're signed up to their 'VIP club' which is just their free mailing list.

[MagicalTrevor]

mids said:

The Panasonic compare feature answers that question.

http://www.panasonic.co.uk/html/en_GB/287749/modul...

Richer Sounds are selling the 42G30 for £569 at the moment but you can get it for £499 if you're signed up to their 'VIP club' which is just their free mailing list.

Thanks, I'd actually found that before asking the question but it only appears to be THX + extra connectors or 3D. Is that really all there is between them?

[marcosgt]

As others have said, I didn't believe a flatscreen could match my old CRT Toshiba until I saw a Plasma Panasonic.

2+ years on I'm still extremely happy with mine (Bought from Richer Sounds).

LED do look good on HD output, but I'm not sure they're any better than Plasma. That said, I would consider LED now that they are more affordable (when I bought they were new and still very expensive compared to Plasma or LCD).

I wouldn't buy another LCD TV personally (I have a Sharp 20" in a spare room).

M.

[danneth]

http://www.hotukdeals.com/deals/panasonic-viera-tx...

[TEKNOPUG]

MagicalTrevor said:

Thanks, I'd actually found that before asking the question but it only appears to be THX + extra connectors or 3D. Is that really all there is between them?

THX is very good.

[nickfrog]

marcosgt said:

LED do look good on HD output, but I'm not sure they're any better than Plasma. That said, I would consider LED now that they are more affordable (when I bought they were new and still very expensive compared to Plasma or LCD).

I wouldn't buy another LCD TV personally (I have a Sharp 20" in a spare room).

M.

You can't buy a LED TV, they're all LCD with LED back lighting so they're slightly improved LCD in terms of blacks and dynamic range but they're still limited to what a LCD can offer and they have their own problems, namely even worse uniformity than conventionnaly lit LCDs.

[Jonesgtr]

danneth said:

M3donuts said:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B004QWYPOA/ref=...

Next.

This

+2 - Excellent TV

[MagicalTrevor]

Jonesgtr said:

danneth said:

M3donuts said:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B004QWYPOA/ref=...

Next.

This

+2 - Excellent TV

I've looked at the ST30 and GT30 In the shop and the GT30 certainly looks better aesthetically. Is the G30 just the GT30 without 3D or is it a different unit altogether? I really don't need 3D but I like the slimmer, narrow bezel of the GT30.

If the G30 screen is slim and looks good like the GT30 then that sounds like the one

[Jonesgtr]

G30 and GT30 are basically identical except for the latter having a newer coating and 3D. In dark conditions they look effectively identical, in bright conditions the GT30 handles reflections and ambient light better.