Help! I need a new TV

saxonrosecliff

The good old CRT television is, I think, about to give up the ghost so its time to get a new TV. Obviously TVs have moved on a bit since I last bought one and I don't really know what I am buying.

I am looking for a 32 inch (have a small room!). I understand I need full HD and not HD ready but don't really know what else I need to look for. I'm not bothered whether its a smart TV or not and I definitely don't want 3D. It would be good to have either integrated Freesat HD or Freeview HD (do they all have one of these?). I am a Virgin customer at the moment but would like to be prepared in case I'm ever in the position where I'm not a Virgin customer. My last but one TV was a Panasonic and I loved it! It lasted for years and had a great picture - is this still the case and is Panasonic still a good make?

Here's the thing, my budget is an absolute maximum of £400, less if possible - times are hard and this is a moneysaving site.

So can anybody point me in the right direction with either suitable makes/models or advice on what I need to look for?

Thanks.

chise

Take a look on John Lewis,5yr guarantee with all their TVs .

I would have posted a link but my post count isn't high enough yet.They have a few in your price range with freeview hd,I would say go for a LED tv .

AnthonyUK

When it comes to tv's, it should be noted that cheap and cheerful brands like alba bush goodmans and instore brands like technika and tevion etc generally offer the poorest value for money in sound/picture performance stakes and are generally a false economy.

Semidecent sets like lg and samsung are just that little bit better and offer good reasonable performance sound/visionwise. Better though are japanese brands.

You want the full fat real thing 1080p hd reproduction not the cheap half business 720p sets to get decent hd pictures from hd sources but better still the freeviewhd or freesathd sets are better if you can run to that and connectivity should also be a consideration as well:you should have at least 3xhdmi sockets and 2xscart sockets although though more sockets are better.

Coaxial and optical digital outputs are desirable for perfect digital sound quality thru a digital input equipped dolbydigital/dts/dolby prologic II home cinema amp/speakers or suitably equipped digital input dolby pro-logic II dvd/bluray home cinema system. TV speakers tend to sound poor even on the better pricier sets and are often equipped with low power outputs of 5-20 watts per channel and often suffer weedy tinny treble and weak thin bass:( A tv with phono stereo outputs connected to a hifi system or tv with digital audio output connected to an av amp/speakers often gives much better sound quality than the weak limited onboard stereo audio system of the television set speakers.

googler

Another Panasonic gets my vote.

saxonrosecliff

Thanks for your help. I'll take a trip into town to have a look in the not too distant future.

slinga

Deffo go to John Lewis.
As well as the 5 year guarantee they have a price match policy although their prices are competitive.
And free delivery.

I'd go with LG.
I find their pictures are great although in all honesty impossible to compare in store as they all use a specific feed to make their pictures look great on all TVs.

Just bought the LG 620 v and it is good although like with all LED TVs the sound ain't brilliant, but I'll buy the Home cinema by LG to sort that out.

Geoffo_M

'Small room' and 32" might not go together - if you're sitting nearer than 8 feet from the set, think about a smaller set

cootuk

Panasonic are still good.
I would look at Richer Sounds too.

Idiophreak

If you're open to it, look second hand. I upgraded my TV recently (32-42) and was quite shocked by how little my old (3 yrs) LCD was worth - I got £80 for it in the end and was doing well at that....it was as new, basically - someone got a bargain. Failing that, I'd recommend LG as a brand - seem very good value and perform well. I wouldn't worry too much about HD ready on a 32" screen, it will cost a chunk less and be barely noticeable...maybe something like this:
http://www.richersounds.com/product/tv---all/lg/32ls570t/lg-32ls570t

StuC75

Costco are another good option for where to buy from (if you are a member). Costco & John Lewis seem to offer the best warranties around..

For freesat hd to be an option do you have an available satellite feed? if not then freeview hd tuner would be the 'better' option..

Technically freeview\freesat hd tuner is the only true Full HD.. all others are dependent upon an HD Input (console \ tuner \ bluray etc).

Other important line - do not let them rip you off with an expensive HDMI cable, sub £5 cables are fine - albeit the consruction may be a little iffy if constantly (un)plugged..

almillar

Don't bother searching too hard for 2 SCART connections - even the very best TVs are only providing one, and if you find a TV with two it might be an older model. You have to think about the connectivity you need. Also bear in mind, the thinner the screen, the less space there is for speakers!
You'll be very pushed (or will pay a lot) to get Freesat HD included (you do know you need a dish for this?) but certainly do go for Freeview HD. A 1080 screen too these days.