around
Read what is written get the instruction manuals from the makers webiste. If I can't quickly find the manuals for a bit of the chances are it won't last very long on the short list.
I agree that generally the rest on the information on a website is useless marketing puff, though the vague background information about some of the features can be half useful.
*Not* easily finding the manuals on the site is also, IME, a hint as to the makers' attirude to after-sales service and support.
Yes our 42" panny plasma has OK sound, but no reall bass. Bought a Onkyo HTX22 stand alone 5.1 system to go with it, much better. B-)
Surprisingly the automatics on it work pretty well. Pop a disc into the Blu-ray and if everything is is standby the telly and speakers power up and select the right inputs. Switch to off air telly, the speakers switch to the ARC on the HDMI connection to get off air sound and 5.1 on the HD channels. Put the TV into standaby and everything else goes into standby.
Every maker has their own name for the control signals carried over the HDMI connection panny but at the basic level they should all inter-operate. Audio Reverse Channel (ARC) in HDMI is fairly new, part of the HDMI 1.4 spec IIRC. Older implimentations of HDMI might not have it and not all HDMI ports support it, our panny has 4 HDMI inputs but only one has ARC.
My big gripe is that the so-called "planners" have put a Welsh transmitter on a mast in England between me and Winter Hill. Same polarity, adjacent channels. This makes the critical thing the menu system and that SWMBO can drive the basic functions. Some of the junk I've got or tried for relatives here has been ridiculous in that area. For that reason I'd stick to something from a manufacturer that has some sort of reputation and name to defend.
In article , John Stumbles writes
I'd go for either of those. Have always been impressed with the picture quality on LG screens. It's a subjective judgement, really - go and see them working first if you can.
I believe John Lewis offers their own warranty over and above the manufacturer one and will price match. Worth a look anyway.
Given that there are only a small number of screen manufacturers in the world and some are better than others wouldn't it be good to know who fits whose?
In message , John writes
We've go TV sets which are "HD-Ready" - yet no matter what type of TV aerial you plug into them, can't can receive HD television.
We've got "LED" TV sets, where the only function of the LEDs is to illuminate an 'old-technology' LCD screen.
Well, no one can say that the English language isn't 'flexible'.
Its easy to find them on the Samsung site.. finding firmware that actually updates the TV can be more difficult.
But presumably will give HD pictures from a bluray or whatever? So that begs the question as to how you'd like it described?
I'd go with "none". I haven't had one for nearly a decade and I have to write that I couldn't see myself getting one ever again.
It's lovely having a living room without a TV. The only electrical thingmy in my living room apart from lights and a clock is my excellent Roberts WM201 Internet Radio which is very discrete and sounds absolutely lovely.
I find my living room lovely to relax in.
There's something really garish a attention seeking about TV these days. It sits in the corner demanding that you look at it all the time. At least that's how I feel about it anyway :)
No real point in having a display 'way better' than what is transmitted.
And since computers are usually optimised for one person viewing, how does the display work at the sort of angles family viewing demands?
When I was looking at TVs about 3 months ago, I found black a surroud too much of a 'hard edge' between TV and room. The Sammy LED job has a black surround for the screen then, outside that, there's a transparent acrylic(?) border of about 10mm and that really softens the impact.
BTW, the Sammy from Richer Sounds is getting a bit old now; C is (was) current for '10 so I assume that B was '09.
No TV ever made has had what I'd describe as even half decent sound using its own internal speakers. It would add so much to the cost that virtually no-one would buy it. Since if they are that picky, they will already have a decent sound system to use with it.
And of course the fashion for today is to have a TV which is all screen. Leaving no room for decent sized forward firing speakers - which are essential for decent quality.
Other thing is a far wider sound stage than the screen size is and always has been acceptable which means the speakers will be further apart than the set is wide.
What a decent set should provide is the means of driving an external pair of speakers - decent power amps don't cost that much and should be included. As well as the more usual line outputs. What is even more annoying is some even quite pricey sets no longer provide convenient analogue line outputs.
Yup, went through that earlier this year, Eventually chose a Samsung 37" LED-backlit job and, after much tweaking of the settings (and almost having to RTFM) I'm very pleased with the picture. I was down to Sammy/Panny, then rejected Panasonic on the grounds of ads. in the EPG and the low wattage of the Sammy (usually 50 - 60W for 37" ain't too bad).
In message , "Dave Plowman (News)" writes
As you know well, Dave, it's a question of "in 2010, what is a 'TV' set"!
Got mine from JL: staff usually know what is what (but go off-peak); 5-year warranty; free delivery. The Panasonic shop was far more than JL, did give 5 years and wouldn't deliver.
In article , Mike Tomlinson scribeth thus
We went there a real d*****ad kept telling me that the poor pix were due to the number of sets they had switched on as it drained the signal and Nope!, he wouldn't have it otherwise.
Went there instated and a well informed young Man answered to the questions correctly and hence we bought from them:)
Problem is new TV .. same boring olde programmes;(...
In article , Dave Plowman (News) scribeth thus
Dunno.. Some Baird monochrome sets were very good in the 70's as was the Philips K9 colour chassis from Sweden very good that was too for the Mono sound at the time;)...
And the pix, colour difference drive, excellent that was too..
Indeed..
I know someone who has an old pair of Tannoy Lancaster's next to the TV for the sound, driven off a vintage QUAD valve amp!!
Pretty well the same as for the last 30 odd years. For viewing 'off air' and your own choice of either bought or hired movies etc via an external player.
I can't see it ever being the norm to use the main living room TV as a display for a computer - even although I do have this here. But the computer is basically used as an extension of a video recorder.
I'll bet you wouldn't have considered them 'very good' if they were the speakers etc of a Hi-Fi system. Maybe OK as part of a very budget music centre...
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