26" LCD TV - HD Ready £378 delivered! (merged) [CLOSED]

black_star_2

Thanks for a great post. I read the post last week, did my research, read the reviews out on the WWW and read everybody’s comments on here. As I am only used to CRTs I even went to Currys, Dixons and Tescos to check out these LCD TVs! After having a look I realised that LCD is really a different animal compared to the “old” CRT and I think needs to be treated differently. Although I appreciate why people treat them the same as a CRT and compare them to a CRT.

TV arrived yesterday. I honestly can not find anything wrong with it. I think we need to keep things in perspective here. It is a great TV for the price. I appreciate that £340-£380 is a hell of a lot of cash but in LCD terms for a 26” TV it is not. If we want an all singing all dancing 26” LCD TV that has exceptional picture quality then we need to go and spend £700+ on a Sony or something?
If we have bought this TV and think it is a pile of rubbish then send it back and maybe in future do a little more research before purchasing?

We have two CRT based TV’s in our house. We have a 32” flat/wide screen in the living room and a 21” CRT flat screen in the bedroom. I was never under the daft illusion that this TV was going to replace the TV in the living room. So I purchased it for the bedroom and I have to say it works great. I read the “Perfectly calibrate your LCD TV” (thanks for the link!) and tinkered with the settings a little and I am more than happy with the quality of the picture and sound. Even using the second worse connection (standard Scart?) it is great for Freeview and playing DVDs.
This discussion is getting more about the technical aspects of home video rather than a “Grabbit while you can”!
If you are not a techie type or TV purist, not into the science of gold connections/formats, protocols, appreciate you only get what you pay for and are prepared to take time to read a manual and a LCD calibration guide. Then this is a brilliant buy/find.

I appreciate what people are saying about discontinued stock and falling prices. However, how long do you wait? No matter how long you wait within a few months a newer model is available and usually for less.I can’t wait for next year when hopefully the 37” ones drop or are being discontinued as the living room 32” CRT needs replacing!
We will always take a hit financially when purchasing electrical/electronic consumer products. What we aim to do on groups like this is reduce that hit and maybe save some cash?

Brodel

Thanks for the feedback black_star, I'm glad you are happy with it
I am yet to recieve mine but I think the issue that most have with the TV is that in their situation it is practically unwatchable (from looking at the photos anyway) and although you shouldn't expect much for a 370 quid LCD TV, it was priced at ove 1000 not too long ago and at that price a lot of reviews were excellent. I'm just suprised there is such a contrast of opinions.

tonyfaestoney

blackstar
Can you post the link for calibrating tv, seem to have missed that.
Also can anyone tell me from photo of dvd player below if I can improve on my scart connection?
Is it worth getting component dvd, will it improve pictures and dvd playback?
http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d198/tonyfaestoney/IMG_0847.jpg
Thanks
TFS

owey

tonyfaestoney wrote:

blackstar
Can you post the link for calibrating tv, seem to have missed that.
Also can anyone tell me from photo of dvd player below if I can improve on my scart connection?
Is it worth getting component dvd, will it improve pictures and dvd playback?
http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d198/tonyfaestoney/IMG_0847.jpg
Thanks
TFS

tonyfaestoney, get yourself down to Tesco's buy that Philips dvd player with component inputs and if they sell component leads get one of them, try it out and if you see no difference I am 100% sure Tescos will give you a refund .
Or if you wait until I get mine "Friday" I will let you know what the component feed is like at the weekend.

Brodel

owey wrote:

tonyfaestoney, get yourself down to Tesco's buy that Philips dvd player with component inputs and if they sell component leads get one of them, try it out and if you see no difference I am 100% sure Tescos will give you a refund .
Or if you wait until I get mine "Friday" I will let you know what the component feed is like at the weekend.

with regards to component leads, If they are the only good input then doesn't that mean you are restricted to using only one piece of hardware with them, for example only your DVD player or only your freeview box?.. If that's the case, what do you do about the remaining items?

Godspeed

Brodel wrote:

with regards to component leads, If they are the only good input then doesn't that mean you are restricted to using only one piece of hardware with them, for example only your DVD player or only your freeview box?.. If that's the case, what do you do about the remaining items?

The only item you will have that could give an output worthy of component will be the dvd player. The resolution of sky/freeview/standard xbox/ps2 does'nt need anything greater than scart/s-video input.

Of course a modded xbox on component out would be different (Sky+160 also has component out)


Cheers


G

owey

until companies start to catch up, you won't find things like component on them, as you have found out with you freeview box. I belive the Sky+160 box has component which won't help you, or me.
Saying that, a year ago you wouldn't of found component on alot of players, especialy players at £19.00, you were lucky to get a cheapo scart lead.

Brodel

ah ok, well I have component on my DVD player and Scart on my freeview so I guess it's the best I can do for now.

black_star_2

Link courtesy of Flimber, page 25
http://www.cnet.com.au/hometheatre/...40003563,00.htm

I am now getting a complex about the TV. I am actually looking for problems with it! Just busy looking for a Nemo DVD to check the fins! Not my DVD of course!

Brodel
-I appreciate that people who have bought the TV and have problems are upset but we should at least wait until we have it out of the box and then set it up? I was having a nervous breakdown waiting for the TV to arrive after all the negative comments and photos!
I agree with the various comments about photographs including distances, quality of the cameras, lighting, resolution, how you are viewing the photos, eye sight, everybody being different etc...I would not have thought using the photos was a good test? Incidentally I did have an eye test recently!
It may have been a 1K TV but we are not buying it for 1K. So in my view the comparison is a little flawed. That is my view only and I recognize every body has a different view and a right to their own view.
I am keeping an eye out on the Dell Outlet site for all these TVs that are going to be returned. One for every room I think!

black_star_2

Nemo is fine.
I am now wondering whether to give this TV to my son for his bedroom and hope a 37" LCD is reduced in the "Jan Sale" or reduced very shorly!
As there are so many issues with this TV is it possible that there could be a "faulty" batch. Or could Dell have changed the supplier/manufacturer? Or is it all down to personal preference and expectation?

Logging off now, off to watch Sharks Tale. Just for research purposes of course!