HD TV - Best 40"

jigglerjohn

Can anyone recommend the best 40" HD TV. To be used mainly for SD with occasional PS3 Blue ray disks from DVD hire places.

declanh

jigglerjohn wrote: »

Can anyone recommend the best 40" HD TV. To be used mainly for SD with occasional PS3 Blue ray disks from DVD hire places.

i have not bought one yet but im strongly considering the sony kdlw4000 (new model just out)

also worth considering is the samsung a656 which is a bit cheaper and looks higher spec (on paper).

Looking at avforums there seem to be some problems with the samsung and the sony is getting very good reports so that could be the one for me.


You could also consider a plasma - but at 400+ watts and the currently electricity prices it would put me off a bit.

bribrian

I've got the Samsung LE40M87 & can't really fault it. SD viewing is excellent but stick on a blu-ray & ......... wow!
http://reviews.cnet.co.uk/televisions/0,39030218,49294498,00.htm

All makes & models have their good & bad points (non are faultless) so pick one with as good a review as possible & more importantly buy from a retailer that has good customer support if anything should go wrong......

fredy34

I bought a samsung m87 a year ago and it is fantastic!
Saved about £200 on a sony model.
great picture, sound its typical lcd/plasma Ie not great but most people have them linked to some sort of home cinema set up anyway. I have an xbox 360 and a high def Virgin box and the picture is great!

superscaper

declanh wrote: »

You could also consider a plasma - but at 400+ watts and the currently electricity prices it would put me off a bit.

Not sure where you're getting the figure from but nowadays the average power usage of a plasma tv for watts/inch^2 is about the same as an LCD. Both of which are less than CRT.

marksimpson

jigglerjohn wrote: »

Can anyone recommend the best 40" HD TV. To be used mainly for SD with occasional PS3 Blue ray disks from DVD hire places.

Panasonic plasmas (PX80 is available in 37" and 42") will give you an SD picture comparable to CRT. SD on a large LCD is a generally miserable experience.

There will be Freesat versions of the Panasonic plasmas out in the next few months which will also give you some HD services.

I'm very happy with the SD and HD pictures (from Freesat) on my 37" plasma, and I'm hard to please.

ballyblack

Channel 5 gadget show recommends the;

Philips 42PFL9632D for the size your after

http://gadgetshow.five.tv/jsp/5gsmain.jsp?lnk=501&featureid=354&description=TVs

marksimpson

ballyblack wrote: »

Channel 5 gadget show recommends the;

Philips 42PFL9632D for the size your after

http://gadgetshow.five.tv/jsp/5gsmain.jsp?lnk=501&featureid=354&description=TVs

Though this is the same programme that last week tested barometers without calibrating them first, and dismissed Sky Gnomes as rubbish because the sound was distorted, oblivious to the fact that they hadn't adjusted the volume going into it from the Sky digibox.

So I wouldn't put much faith in their testing.

If you buy something Panasonic you won't go too far wrong, LCD or plasma. And no, I don't work for them.

John Lewis does free delivery on TVs and you get a 5 year warranty with good customer service. Their couriers are a bit slow.

Satscene

look down this thread to the 42" Pioneer Kuro i bought. http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=818269&page=2&highlight=pioneer+kuroA pricey but fantastic set. Hook up a Hi-def box or Blu-Ray and you won`t regret it!

Jaime-V

We have a 42" Panasonic plasma. Love it! we have had it just over 1.5 yrs now the silver one with the silver integrated stand (if you know what I mean!) We have LCD upstairs and much prefer the plasma picture.

TBH we have noticed it is harder on electric than our old 28" widescreen crt. (nothing to do with price increase, noticed it from day 1)


We seen a HUGE panasonic plasma in NYC I think it was around 100" or more, wow!!!

declanh

superscaper wrote: »

Not sure where you're getting the figure from but nowadays the average power usage of a plasma tv for watts/inch^2 is about the same as an LCD. Both of which are less than CRT.

Looking at the manufacturers websites the quoted power consumptions of the sony lcd compared to panasonic

sonly kdlw4000 = 176 watts
Panasonic TH-42PZ85B= 385 watts (rated) , 325 assumptive normal use

this is about 85% more power at the assumptive rate

ok its not quote 400watts + but there is a reasonable difference