Hi,
Looking to buy a 42 inch TV and have no idea what is the best value out there. Any tips/pointers most welcome? Currently have a Panasonic LCD and am really pleased with it other than it sometimes has a problem with fast motion.
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I bought from John Lewis - the Toshiba packed up last Christmas (irritating stand by problem, known apparently) - they changed the telly with no quibble. I would have no qualms in recommending a Toshiba but others will know better, but what I'm saying is that John Lewis are very, very good on after sales - worth the little bit extra you may pay.
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Go Panasonic or Sony, LED, Full Freeview HD,
Say no more.
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It will depend what you want from the TV.
Do you want the ability to receive HD freeview channels ?
How many high definition devices would you like to plug in ?
How many devices would you like to connect via scart ?
Do you need the TV to show full HD picture (most 42 inch TV's will be able to fully display HD) ?
Do you need the TV to provide digital sound output (say to your surround sound system) ?
For me when I chose my TV, I chose a TV that had twin scart socket inputs and 4 x HDMI sockets.
The bonus was also that it is Full HD and able to receive Freeview HD channels and also has optical output for a future surround sound system.
My only HDMI source at the moment is a media box that plays films and HD content from my server.
DVD and sat box work on the scart connections (no point in blue ray DVD at the moment).
Anyway a bit long winded but I hope it helps you.
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Sony EX403 or EX503, 40" or 46", great value and will do everything you ever wanted from a TV. The 503 has 100hz refresh, in theory better for sport and fast moving action. Some Sony's feature a 200mhz though dont be fooled by Panasonic's 400hz claims, it is not true refresh, rather it is some kind of interpolation.
Last edited by: Cheddar on Mon 20 Dec 10 at 22:08
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>> rather it is some kind of interpolation.
Well if the programme is only broadcast at 50Hz then it either has to refresh the same image a few times (so no point) or make up (i.e. guess) the extra frames. These frames never existed so it is a guess.
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>> >> rather it is some kind of interpolation.
>>
>> Well if the programme is only broadcast at 50Hz then it either has to refresh
>> the same image a few times (so no point) or make up (i.e. guess) the
>> extra frames. These frames never existed so it is a guess.
>>
Actually my description is probably wrong, WHICH descibe it as follows:
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100Hz and 200Hz processing
Most TV pictures are broadcast or recorded at 50Hz – that’s 50 fields or 25 frames per second.
In an attempt to manipulate the picture and create the illusion of smoother motion, many LCD and plasma TVs feature 100Hz processing software. This basically doubles the number of frames on screen.Some of the very latest LCD and plasma TVs boast 200Hz processing software, quadrupling the original frame rate, and placing 100 frames on the screen every second.
600Hz processing
600Hz processing Instead of increasing the frame rate in the same way as 100 or 200Hz models, 600Hz TVs rapidly flash the pixels (that make up each frame) on and off in an attempt to create the illusion of smoother movement. Technically known as ‘sub-field’ processing, it’s found on some plasma TVs.
--
Last edited by: Cheddar on Mon 20 Dec 10 at 22:41
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But if the frames are the same for 4 frame on a 200Hz TV, why not hold the image for longer. What the TVs actually try to do is create totally guessed images for the in between frames. It sometimes works and sometimes it looks awful.
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I recently bought a 40" Samsung - LCD, 200Hz refresh, Full HD, Freeview, 4 HDMI, optical audio output. It happens to be 3-D, which I'm not concerned with right now, but the ordinary picture is stunning and HD amazing.
Got it from Richer Sounds, from whom I've always had excellent service. Very pleased. Obviously I can't say anything about the Samsung 42", but if it's as good as its slightly smaller brother, then it's pretty darn good.
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My Panasonic plasma TX-P42G20, initially available as the first of the 2010 models from end of March/early April, has lived up and more to expectations.
It's now available for under £700 from many outlets and is a bargain, having all the bells and whistles apart from 3D (which is of no personal nterest), including both Freesat and Freeview HD tuners.
Review at:
tinyurl.com/29nf9zk
The Freeview HD channels from Winter Hill are generally on a par with those of Freesat and include Channel 4.
Sport proves as satisfying to watch as on a CRT set.
Last edited by: Stuartli on Tue 21 Dec 10 at 00:10
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Just look to Panasonic or Sony, in your price range.
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Our 27 month old Samsung 40" LCD died recently due to the capacitors in the power supply failing. This is a notoriously common fault affecting many Samsung models, although whether it's an issue with current ones I don't know.
Fixed by a local guy for £90 including collection and delivery, but disappointing on an £800 TV at such a young age. He reckons he does half a dozen a week, on average.
Samsung UK, even when confronted with pages of evidence of forums from around the world describing the same fault, and even knowing that Samsung in the US offer a free repair service to their customers for any TV affected by the problem, didn't want to know.
The TV is superb (fault aside), but I won't deal with Samsung again, and would urge anyone else to steer clear. Lousy attitude and lousy customer service.
My next TV will be a Sharp. I have a 14" Aquos LCD which is now 6 years old. Been carted from room to room, knocked about, and has never missed a beat.
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...Our 27 month old Samsung 40" LCD died recently due to the capacitors in the power supply failing...
Where did you buy the Samsung from?
I ask because my local telly man told me the big sheds order special pared-down spec models from the manufacturers so they can sell at attractive prices and make money.
They try to hide the cost cutting, and one example my man gave me was power supplies on Samsungs.
He told me this a good few months ago, and I posted something about it on a telly thread on here at the time.
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Currys Digital, IIRC.
£100 cheaper than the instore price, and 30 seconds on the voucher code search engines netted free delivery.
Very interesting to hear though. I remember there were different model number variants of identical looking and spec TVs at different outlets. Most of the model number was the same, but the last letter or two varied. Nobody was able to tell me what the differences were.
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...Very interesting to hear though...
My man will be on the money.
He's been in the business 30-odd years, has a retail shop and contract work with pubs and clubs and, I believe, the local authority.
Only really does TV and video, no white goods and doesn't bother with audio much these days.
Interesting man to talk to - if you like talking about televisions for hours on end. :)
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Very happy with the 50" Samsung we bought a few months ago. Even more happy with the 42" LG that we bought for the bedroom at the same time. Wonderful, intuitive menus with great graphics.
I went for bangs per buck, I wanted big and cheap so I don't have to wear glasses to read the scores. Watching the footie on a digital channel on a big screen is just mega.
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Richer Sounds are very good: cheap cheap.
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But not all it seems. You have to be wary in how they describe some TVs, they are pretty lax with the blur between "hd ready and full hd" at times.
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>> Our 27 month old Samsung 40" LCD died recently due to the capacitors in the power supply failing
Which is why a few of us on here keep saying buy at John Lewis. All TVs come with a 5 year guarantee there and they price match. If it cannot be economically fixed they will give the equivalent new TV.
Last edited by: rtj70 on Tue 21 Dec 10 at 11:02
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On top of that is the customer focused attitude of the staff.
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>> On top of that is the customer focused attitude of the staff.
Nowadays we don't buy stuff anywhere else, as SWMBO now works for the Partnership, and we get 12.5-25% discount depending on the kind of product. Unfortunately, this didn't apply at the time.
I agree though, their customer service is first class. That's what you get when you empower your staff, and genuinely allow them to "own" the business. The lowest staff turnover rate in retail bar none, which when you consider the business model, and the benefits package, it's not surprising. Even working part time, she has access to a whole host of discounted rates with various companies, from £4 cinema tickets to Partnership owned holiday homes you can rent for a token charge.
Just on the 5 yr warranty thing, bear in mind if you've bought an integrated TV/DVD combo, the 5yr cover does not apply to the DVD player.
Last edited by: DP on Tue 21 Dec 10 at 12:24
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Value?
www.pixmania.co.uk/uk/uk/7858276/art/panasonic/viera-tx-l42u2b-42-full-h.html
Not the latest model but a 42" Panasonic for £379?
I'd go Panasonic regardless.
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We bought a 42" Panasonic TV and BluRay DVD recorder a few months ago following some helpful advice from a knowledgeable poster further up this thread. I was surprised that we were able to get our best deal from a small local stockist, and a five year guarantee on the telly thrown in.
A good buy.
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Same in my case. Although it wasn't a Panasonic guarantee, the dealer involved, who included his own guarantee, is the official Panasonic service agent for a large area of the North West...:-)
Panasonic often has a free five year guarantee promotion on its products and in the case of a TV would save £200.
Last edited by: Stuartli on Tue 21 Dec 10 at 15:08
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Learned some years ago to avoid French based on-line retailers (yes, I know who Pixmaia is owned by), following four months of hell with a firm called Nomatica...:-((
Ironically the order was placed on behalf of a family member normally out at work during the day, but I was the one who had to sort it out...
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42 inch TV - R.P.
