Bloody Telly's Gone And Blown Up!

[Big Jim]

OK, after working all day in the garage on the old motorbike (the regular NW Hoodies know what I'm on about) I sat down with a brew, ready to watch some sort of crap on the telly, when it went pop! and the picture is now about 1" wide, (I never did like the bloody thing anyway, it had a mind of it's own) so now I need / want another TV. I fancy a Samsung 28" LCD jobby, who's our resident TV expert? what does he think? can he get me one cheap?

Need to know, otherwise I'm going shopping in the morning!

[Guest charlyfarly]

How good is your current TV? Usually these sort of failures are power supply or transformer related and can be fixed fror ~£100 by your local tele bloke.

 

As for flat panels, I know a few people in the set top box industry. Unfortunately the one they recommended last time I ask is stuck in the work email, can check in the morning.

 

Difference between Plasma and LCD fairly even now, plasma has better contrast but can suffer from screen burn.

 

Below 30" I'd go LCD, above Plasma.

 

Toshiba and Panasonic have made good plasmas reasonably consitently.

 

Generally what you get for the difference in price is a better quality panel, and better scaling electronics. If you display normal pictures direct on large screens they look very flickery, the more expensive screens do a better job of doubling to 100Hz and smoothing.

 

Ensure you get a HDMI socket and its HD Ready.

 

Check how many SCART sockets you get, and how many are RGB. If you have a DVD and Cable/SKY then you want an RGB socket for each ideally otherwise your feeding the screen a bad signal.

 

Oh - and don't compare screen quality too much in Dixons - all the panels are fed from some crappy RF video distribution. Make sure you compare the quality with a decent source like a DVD player.

[Guest Battery Bill]

Jim

I would not bother for now

It was the last in the series of :

 

"Grumpy old men"

 

last Friday

 

PS Dont buy one of ebay, its as bad as buying a projector

[Guest charlyfarly]

Oh, and the cheaper no-name LCD panels tend to use the B grade screens.

 

These can have "stuck" pixels that are either always dead or glowing a fixed colour.

 

For some people it doesnt matter - it winds me up hugely.

 

If you go LCD have it powered up in the shop and try to inspect it. Or order it over the net/phone and then you have 7 days to reject it under the distance selling act.

[Big Jim]

Thanks for your input Charles. LCD it is, and I still fancy a Samsung. Well known name, and from what i've seen, they look a good set.

[Mat-Moo]

What is your budget? I'm currently watching this page over at one of my other hideouts (AVForums) http://www.avforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=339023 about an ebuyer special : http://www.ebuyer.com/UK/product/106962 - 32" lcd for £600.

[Mitch]

Matt. from Jims experiance with ebuyer, i doubt he will touch them,

seems there okay when things a right but a pain to sort stuff out,

 

Mitch

[Big Jim]

Mitch is correct, I wouldn't buy anything off e-buyer ever again!

Their customer service dept makes RHSC's look like a role model.

[Mat-Moo]

Never had an issue myself

[Mitch]

you wont until you need to return somthing, thatswhen the trouble starts,

 

Mitch

[Guest charlyfarly]

Dug out the recommendation from my contacts - and they're implementing HD on the new Sky box so they probably know thier stuff

 

Turns it its a Samsung, but a 32

 

Asking around at work for HDTV recommendations - this one has been given a very good report (at least for display of SD images!), only down side was that if connecting through composite, you have to cycle through the ext inputs to get the picture as there is no dedicated button on the remote for each input. SCART switching should work though.

 

http://www.samsung.com/uk/products/televis...32r41bdxxeu.asp

[Guest vacinc]

your tube has gone, as sayed, go for up to 32" in lcd. and any size you want in plasma ? I"d go for lcd, panisonic, i"ll give you a price to haggle on , panisonic 37" plasma

link http://www.currys.co.uk/martprd/store/cur_...sm=null&tm=null

cost price £1200.00 pay between £1240 + £1280 and you"ve got a very good deal, make sure the stand is in with the price + thats cash, the mark up is the same across the range, it"ll give you a base to haggle on, next up would be LG ( lucky goldstar ) very good to. its realy down to your own taste and what you think is the best picture, have a good look, first

[Guest Andy Badger]

Hi Jim,

if you want a samsung (which id recommend) you need a minimum of a 36 inch for your front room. Costco are doing a fantastic one at a reasonable price HD ready. If you havent got a card, then let me know & i can get you in with mine.

 

approx £600-800 is what you are looking at for a decent one. Remember the old addage you get what you pay for.

 

Andy badger

[Big Jim]

Jobs ordered, should be here in the morning.

Went round the local Comet & Curry's etc, didn't like the prices, so came home and ordered it over the 'net, saved £100 plus.

Meanwhile I'll have to find something else to do tonight.

[Mat-Moo]

Hi Jim,

if you want a samsung (which id recommend) you need a minimum of a 36 inch for your front room. Costco are doing a fantastic one at a reasonable price HD ready. If you havent got a card, then let me know & i can get you in with mine.

 

approx £600-800 is what you are looking at for a decent one. Remember the old addage you get what you pay for.

 

Andy badger

How much/make/model?