New Best Quality Value Television

Vindicator_2

Hi, i'm not really a techie, particularly with tvs, but im basically looking to get a new tv and i really want the best quality and value on the market. But i dont really know what is good ... like when it gets to all the differnet specs i know very little, so specifying whats important would be helpful! You guys all really know your stuff so i just wanted to see any recomendations. I'm just really going for best quality picture, largest screen, most reliable, least depreciation. Budget maybe £500, but flexible either way.

moonrakerz

Before you try and decide which TV to buy, you need to decide what TV you want.
For example: you say "largest screen": If you have a smallish room, a large TV showing an SD picture will give an awful quality picture. You need to know the max/best size TV your room will support.
Would a LCD or Plasma be the best bet for where the TV is going ?

Go to a good TV store (NOT the High St chains) and talk to them. I would recommend John Lewis. Take your time, do not be rushed.
Use Google - for hours.

It is no good me saying that you must get a 42" Panasonic plasma set, just because I find mine to be brilliant - it might be useless in your circumstances. My daughter got a 32" LCD - different house, different room !

fwor

You won't get an unbiased response to that query here - people tend to recommend Sony (or whatever) because they've always bought Sony, not because they have compared the latest Sony models with the latest from Samsung (or whoever).

Your best bet: go to Comet or a similar large store, look at what's available and see what you like. Then decide if you can afford it, go home and find the cheapest price online. FWIW, I like the picture quality of the latest Samsung LCDs, but you may not.

sillywilly

Best brands according to Which are Panasonic, Sony, Phillips and Samsung in that order. Obviously you can spend a load of money but you may be getting features that you don't need.

Does you need 3D or an internet connection? How many sources do you have? How big is your room? Is any light reflected from windows? Etc etc.

This is a good priced basic Panasonic http://www.amazon.co.uk/Panasonic-TX-P37C2B-37-inch-Widescreen-Freeview/dp/B003I4FD70/ref=br_lf_m_1000412263_1_1_ttl?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&pf_rd_p=202561887&pf_rd_s=center-3&pf_rd_t=1401&pf_rd_i=1000412263&pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_r=14RHPQBJQKZDNAJPTMAX

Try Richer Sounds too. Copy the model number into google and search for reviews.

penrhyn

Screen size has nothing to do with room size, it is proportional to the amount of Burberry in the wardrode.:D

moonrakerz

fwor wrote: »

You won't get an unbiased response to that query here - people tend to recommend Sony (or whatever) because they've always bought Sony, not because they have compared the latest Sony models with the latest from Samsung (or whoever).

Your best bet: go to Comet or a similar large store, look at what's available and see what you like. Then decide if you can afford it, go home and find the cheapest price online. FWIW, I like the picture quality of the latest Samsung LCDs, but you may not.

Sorry, but you won't get an unbiased opinion in the High St. The level of staff knowledge in these places is pretty poor AND you will notice that they only stock a couple of brands which they will promote very heavily. LG and Samsung (in particular) are VERY heavily promoted, if they stock Panasonic or Sony you will find that the picture is not as good as on the other brands - because they set them up like that. You WILL be told that a particular set IS the best one there is - just because that is what they are told to say !

Go somewhere where you will get a truly independent view and you can do a proper comparison between (say) an LG and a Sony.

Vindicator_2

Hello thanks for replies! read it all, all really useful, thank you for the recommendation. i just really wanna by a monster tv that will last me ages. I'm gonna head to a few stores and have a look around tomorrow. Is now a good time to buy? Is there anything specific i should be looking for in the spec? I liked the look of the one with the amazon link provided.

fwor

moonrakerz wrote: »

Sorry, but you won't get an unbiased opinion in the High St.

I didn't say that you would. My recommendation was to ~look~ and see what you like the look of. I never speak to the sales staff in any of those stores, because I know I will not get an unbiased view.

I've heard it said before that the staff deliberately set up cheaper sets to look worse, but I've never seen any evidence of this myself.

Seriously, I don't know where you would go for an unbiased opinion. Richer Sounds will often try to sell you what they have on promotion (i.e. have most of in the warehouse). My local TV shop is excellent, but they stock almost entirely one brand (Panasonic) and have done for at least 5 years.

The online review sites such as Trustedreviews are quite good, but how would anyone know whether they are getting "incentives" from one or more manufacturers?

patman99

Room size DOES have an affect on screen size. The recommended minimum viewing distance for a 32 inch tv is 6ft, for a 40 inch is 10ft, and for a 52inch is 17ft.
The reason behind this, is that the bigger the telly, the bigger the pixels. A 52' tv will have the same number of pixels across and down as a 40', but they will be larger.

The only exception to this are plasma screens and projector systems..

moonrakerz

fwor wrote: »

I've heard it said before that the staff deliberately set up cheaper sets to look worse, but I've never seen any evidence of this myself.

When I was looking for a set myself, the Sonys and Pannys (in Comet in Salisbury) were a joke - almost unwatchable - the LGs were fine !!

Vindicator_2

Really ? but people seemed to be suggesting i go for a pansonic or sony?