tv advice for total numpty

virgin_moneysaver

well, thanx to everyone who gave me advice - off to watch the footy now on our very old set - promised the boys next footy tournament will be on a new TV of somesort

cheers all

Cat695

I have to say SAMSUNG are the leading TV makers at the moment (and before you start i have an LG)

ONLY BUY a TV that is 1080p
DON'T buy from the high street you'll pay over the odds!!! unless you don't mind last years model(whats the point of upgrading though) play.com is an excellent alternative (can be more than 300 quid cheaper WITH free delivery)
99% of new tv's now come with intergrated digital so your future proof (can even get them with harddrives in for recording)
DO NOT buy some cheapo make like technika as the picture quality is POOR compared to bigger brands (you will regret it!!!)

Well known fact if you go for a screen which is less than 42 inch go for LCD if its 42 inch and over then go for plasma!!! (the stories about plasma are UNTRUE!!!) but trust me you need to have a BIG front froom if you actually what to enjoy 42 inch and above!!!

and tell your son to get rid of the xbox360 and get a PS3...HD DVD is dead Bluray is the way forward and the PS3 is the cheapest and best way to get bluray!!!(oh and it upscales DVD's and the 360 doesn't)

Marty_J

amcluesent wrote: »

I'd hold off purchasing a new TV until the come with new generation Freeview HD built-in, otherwise you'll need to get a separate set-top-box.

It might be awhile before you can use it; London isn't going to be switching the analogue off until 2012 (the same as Northern Ireland), and it's unlikely there will be any HD freeview broadcasts in those areas until then.

[Deleted User]

In my opinion, if you're buying a 42" panel then you should be investing in one that can display 1080p. It's a larger panel so if you in the future do upgrade to Bluray/Consoles on it then you'll be able to get the benefit.

As has been pointed out, unless you're going to go with Sky/Virgin HD service then Standard Definition ie normal tv isn't going to look as good as it does on your CRT television.

The key to maximising the quality of your HDTV is to make sure it's properly calibrated. You can either pay some one to do it with the correct hardware or you can buy DVD's to give you colour test charts and explain what needs to be done etc. Obviously the latter won't give you as good calibration, but for home use they're fine and can be got pretty cheap.

Marty_J

Lucasfilm DVDs often come with a THX optimiser, which is basically a poor man's calibration tool; it's not perfect, but it is an improvement over trying to guess the settings yourself.

[Deleted User]

Marty_J wrote: »

Lucasfilm DVDs often come with a THX optimiser, which is basically a poor man's calibration tool; it's not perfect, but it is an improvement over trying to guess the settings yourself.

Problem with the THX Optimiser is it's only for that film, which is why the calibration for Star Wars will not really give good results for Monsters Inc etc..

Digital Video Essentials on DVD is a good all round solution, and only a fiver..

Marty_J

Really? I though it just optimised it to THX standards. I didn't know it was movie-specific.

I agree that a dedicated tool will give the best results though.

Another tip is to calibrate your TV in the conditions it will be used; no point calibrating it in the afternoon if you do most of your watching in the evening.

superscaper

Cat695 wrote: »

DON'T buy from the high street you'll pay over the odds!!! unless you don't mind last years model(whats the point of upgrading though) play.com is an excellent alternative (can be more than 300 quid cheaper WITH free delivery)
99% of new tv's now come with intergrated digital so your future proof (can even get them with harddrives in for recording)
DO NOT buy some cheapo make like technika as the picture quality is POOR compared to bigger brands (you will regret it!!!)

Well known fact if you go for a screen which is less than 42 inch go for LCD if its 42 inch and over then go for plasma!!! (the stories about plasma are UNTRUE!!!) but trust me you need to have a BIG front froom if you actually what to enjoy 42 inch and above!!!

and tell your son to get rid of the xbox360 and get a PS3...HD DVD is dead Bluray is the way forward and the PS3 is the cheapest and best way to get bluray!!!(oh and it upscales DVD's and the 360 doesn't)

I disagree with a few points. First thing is that I definitely would steer people well clear of play.com for expensive purchases since you're not covered by any consumer rights buying outside the UK. Second thing, nothing is future proof. As has already been pointed out current integrated freeview is not capable of processing the impending freeview HD channels to be broadcast. Thirdly it's a well known rule of thumb, not a "fact" regarding size versus display technology which is very subjective. Fourthly Xbox 360 vs PS3 is a personal preference depending on personal priorities. It has little relevance to HD DVD since the Xbox 360 doesn't have that inbuilt and the Xbox is actually about the same price as a Wii.

[Deleted User]

Cat695 wrote: »

and tell your son to get rid of the xbox360 and get a PS3...HD DVD is dead Bluray is the way forward and the PS3 is the cheapest and best way to get bluray!!!(oh and it upscales DVD's and the 360 doesn't)

The Xbox 360 does upscale DVD's if you use a VGA or HDMI lead

Cat695

superscaper wrote: »

I disagree with a few points. First thing is that I definitely would steer people well clear of play.com for expensive purchases since you're not covered by any consumer rights buying outside the UK. Second thing, nothing is future proof. As has already been pointed out current integrated freeview is not capable of processing the impending freeview HD channels to be broadcast. Thirdly it's a well known rule of thumb, not a "fact" regarding size versus display technology which is very subjective. Fourthly Xbox 360 vs PS3 is a personal preference depending on personal priorities. It has little relevance to HD DVD since the Xbox 360 doesn't have that inbuilt and the Xbox is actually about the same price as a Wii.

If you do your homework play.com is probably one of the BEST internet order sites going....and you are covered just buy with a credit card!!!

NO tv does intergrated HD via Satellite!! or cable (which is the only way to get HD at the moment) but he is covered for the digital change over (of which he was asking about)

and it is a FACT about the size!! otherwise the experts wouldn't say it!

the xbox360 only upscales to 720 and not 1080p like the PS3 and why buy a machine (xbox360) when HD DVD is no longer going to be made BLU RAY IS THE FUTURE for now anyway

And the reason i said get a PS3 was because it has the BEST Blu ray player for the price and seeing as HD DVD is no longer a contender whats the point of a xbox360 (buy a HD TV and enjoy the HD feature with Blu ray)