New TV

Christina1982

Hi

Hope this is the correct section to post in!!

We are due to go digital in June (scary!) and I need a new tv for my bedroom, Im looking for a 19" flatscreen with integrated freeview (takes less space) I have a dvd player at the moment but I'm also looking to buy a digital recorder.
Is there such a thing as a recorder with built in dvd player?

Anyone recommend any of these propducts that I need?!

THanks muchly!

davethorp

Not a recommendation but yes you can get DVD players with HDD recorders built in

LINKY

This is just the first one I found so again not a recommendation as I have no idea if it is any good or not

Christina1982

Thanks
I saw one of those on play but wasn't too sure what it was!!!

matth1j

Be careful buying a 19" LCD - most have a resolution of 1440x900, which corresponds to an aspect ratio of 16:10, whereas the majority of programmes broadcast on Freeview are 16:9. To watch a 16:9 programme on a 16:10 screen the TV should have a mode where it fits the picture to the vertical edges of the screen, leaving a black border top and bottom (I'll call this mode 1).

If there's no borders, then either it's fitted the picture to the horizontal edges top/bottom of the screen, and the edges of the picture have been lost off the vertical sides (mode 2), or it's fitted the picture both horizontally and vertically, with the result that the picture is distorted - objects (and people) appear 'thin' (mode 3).

I bought the cheapest 19" I could find, which had 1440x900 resolution and offered modes 2 & 3, but not mode 1. That is, it wouldn't let me watch all of a 16:9 broadcast without distortion, which I thought was unacceptable.

I returned the TV (ebuyer own brand Foehn & Hirsch) and bought a Sharp with 1368x768 resolution, which is 'proper' 16:9, so there's no problem with it displaying Freeview programmes in the correct aspect ratio. (It's also a much better quality TV alround, and would recommend it - model LC19D1EBK, which was £150 from RicherSounds, but is now £170.)

I would also recommend getting a TV with a headphone output so you can hook up some external speakers. I've attached a pair of cheap desktop PC speakers to the Sharp, because although the Sharp is supposed to have better than average sound for a 19", it's still not great, and is worse than the £50 Alba non-LCD TV that it has replaced. The sound on the Foehn & Hirsch was just awful (and it didn't have a headphone output).

HTH
matt

Christina1982

Hey

I've been looking at various tvs on sites etc since I originally posted this thread.

I would really appreciate some feedback on the ones I'm drawn to!!

http://www.play.com/Electronics/Electronics/4-/3435709/-/Product.html

http://www.play.com/Electronics/Electronics/-/371/471/-/5320437/Samsung-DVD-VR475M-Combo-DVD-Recorder/Product.html?searchtype=genre - no reviews though so bit wary....

am i best to try and keep to the same brand?

Thanks!!

eljmayes

Christina1982 wrote: »

Hey

I've been looking at various tvs on sites etc since I originally posted this thread.

I would really appreciate some feedback on the ones I'm drawn to!!

http://www.play.com/Electronics/Electronics/4-/3435709/-/Product.html

http://www.play.com/Electronics/Electronics/-/371/471/-/5320437/Samsung-DVD-VR475M-Combo-DVD-Recorder/Product.html?searchtype=genre - no reviews though so bit wary....

am i best to try and keep to the same brand?

Thanks!!

Samsung's TVs always get decent reviews in the tech magazines so I'd plump for that, it's not essential that you get the same brand DVD recorder combo so I'd shop around.