What do you think to this TV

blue_haddock

I'm currently looking for a new TV and this has popped up on ebay.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=330502204956

I have seen 32 inch HD ready TV's for similar money so do you think this is a good buy? I'll be using it for watch cable TV and playing PS3 games on it.

Hammyman

No. Its Alba. They've hideous TFT panels with low contrast (washed out colours) and poor speed so background scenery in a pan shot just turns into a blur and on fast motion, you'll see ghost images.

I wouldn't even buy a computer monitor with a contrast ration below 1000:1 and I certainly wouldn't buy a telly with a contrast ratio below 3000:1, let along 500:1. My current telly has a contrast ration 100 times that.

Also, let me educate you. There is no point getting 1080p at this size of TV as you'd not be able to tell the difference between 720p and 1080p unless you were sat less than five feet away. At an average 9 foot viewing distance, you'd need a 64" TV to tell the difference between 720p and 1080p. Once you get over the sales hype around 1080p, you can get a far better quality 720p for the same money.

Not convinced? Have a read of this page with a link to the Lechner distance chart:

http://hdguru.com/lechner-distance-the-number-you-need-to-know-before-buying-an-hdtv/21/

BBC White Paper which states that based on a 2.7 metre viewing distance, 720p is optimal for TV sizes from 26" to 48"
http://www.bbc.co.uk/rd/pubs/whp/whp-pdf-files/WHP092.pdf

blue_haddock

But what if i will be sitting within 5 feet of the TV?

I would say i sit approx 1.5 metre from the screen.

kwikbreaks

Well you'd be able to see the motion blur easier at that distance I guess....

Inactive

Cheap and nasty.

Avoid.

aliEnRIK

Hammyman wrote: »

I wouldn't even buy a computer monitor with a contrast ration below 1000:1 and I certainly wouldn't buy a telly with a contrast ratio below 3000:1, let along 500:1. My current telly has a contrast ration 100 times that.

I agree with most of what you say Hammy
But your contrast ratio talk is way out. Its pure marketing BS. Theres still the same number of colours. Its just a ratio of white to black (Which are usually lied about to make them better than they actually are)
There isnt even a set standard for measuring contrast. Until there is, its all utter BS

As for the Alba. Completely agree. Avoid like the plague

Inactive

aliEnRIK wrote: »

I agree with most of what you say Hammy
But your contrast ratio talk is way out. Its pure marketing BS. Theres still the same number of colours. Its just a ratio of white to black (Which are usually lied about to make them better than they actually are)
There isnt even a set standard for measuring contrast. Until there is, its all utter BS

As for the Alba. Completely agree. Avoid like the plague

Agreed, it is all marketing hype, some makers are quoting ridiculous figures..

Hammyman

aliEnRIK wrote: »

I agree with most of what you say Hammy
But your contrast ratio talk is way out. Its pure marketing BS. Theres still the same number of colours. Its just a ratio of white to black (Which are usually lied about to make them better than they actually are)
There isnt even a set standard for measuring contrast. Until there is, its all utter BS

As for the Alba. Completely agree. Avoid like the plague

If I showed you two TVs , one at 500:1 and one at 1000:1 and asked you to tell me which one had the better figure, I can guarantee you'd be able to tell.

Hammyman

Inactive wrote: »

Agreed, it is all marketing hype, some makers are quoting ridiculous figures..

Only because they're using dynamic and not static.

Inactive

Hammyman wrote: »

Only because they're using dynamic and not static.

Indeed, but that is only to fool the punters even more.

missile

IMHO you will always be better with a quality manufacturer like Sony than a cheapo like Alba irrespective of the manufacturer's specification.