Hello all,
This may already have been covered in another thread, but I've had a poke about using the forum search and haven't found anything. Apologies to the Mods if I'm duplicating an existing thread.
Anyway, after a disastrous event involving our very old, very heavy CRT telly and the effects of gravity we are looking for a new TV.
The only thing we're sure about is that it will be 37". I don't know much about modern tellies so don't know whether LCD, LED or plasma are the way forward. I do know that, if possible, the telly should have Freeview HD built in. I'd imagine that we'd be looking at spending around £600 but that probably depends on what the insurance company pay out.
Which makes are best? Which format should we go for? Is it worth buying a sound bar to go with it?
As always, ladies and gentlespoons, many thanks in advance for your help.
B.
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We bought a new 32 inch 1 year ago. Sony Bravia. Richer Sounds are very good on pricing. Highly recommended.
Plasma are hot running and high electricity consumption.
We went lcd or is it led..
HD/Freeview.
Nice quality and WHich recommended.
Easy to use..
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>>Plasma are hot running and high electricity consumption.>>
Not in the case of modern plasmas such as my Panasonic TX-P42G20B, which also has a much smaller PSU than in the past.
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The consensus on this forum is Sony or Panasonic (I'll own up to Sony).
At 37" it'll be LCD not plasma. Don't be fooled by "LED", no such thing, it's LCD with LED backlighting.
You'll have to make up your own mind on the soundbar. I find that Freeview HD transmissions are sometimes significantly quieter than the same transmission on SD. Rather than a soundbar there are some things you can hang on the back using the VESA mounting points. I'll look it up & post.
Found it - www.qacoustics.co.uk/q-tv/q-tv2.htm
John
Last edited by: Tooslow on Wed 5 Jan 11 at 16:36
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Brilliant that, John. Many thanks. Had no idea that LED tellies were just posh LCDs - thought they were genuinely something different.
I've had a quick squizz at Richer Sounds's website and they're offering a 40 inch Sony Bravis LCD with Freeview HD for £400 which sounds like a Brucie Bargain to me. Trouble is, Mrs B will never let me order one until we have absolute confirmation that the insurance company will pay out. She's no sense of adventure, that one... :-)
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If you go to richer sounds, make sure it does have HD on freeview.
They are pretty ambiguous with their descriptions
LEDs are more then souped up LCD's.
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>> If you go to richer sounds, make sure it does have HD on freeview.
>>
>> They are pretty ambiguous with their descriptions
>>
>> LEDs are more then souped up LCD's.
>>
Also be wary of search results. Amazon search results are not very good.
I complained to them and their responses were not very good re solving my complaint.
I am looking to buy a TV now probably a 372 that is a little future proof.
The Panasonic txl37d25 seems to be the most highly thought of.
It is LED so very slim line. It has both Freestat HD and Freeview HD
It is however pricy but I do not buy a TV very often so I will pay up.
What Hi Fi has reviewed 32" TVs this month and it makes interesting reading.
Search out other reviews on the web ?
Sets that are larger than 37" seem very cheap these days.
The usual comments are that Plasma are better for displaying fast movement and had darker black parts to the image but LEDs are catching up.
So what sort of programs do you most value when watching?
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>> If you go to richer sounds, make sure it does have HD on freeview.
>>
>> They are pretty ambiguous with their descriptions
>>
>> LEDs are more then souped up LCD's.
>>
It's still LCD technology, just with LED backlighting rather than flourescents. OK this does mean they can try fancy tricks like switching the backlighting off in dark areas of the picture to make the black bits a bit blacker. At least LED backligting should last longer.
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>>> soundbar there are some things you can hang on the back using the VESA mounting
>> points. I'll look it up & post.
>>
>> Found it - www.qacoustics.co.uk/q-tv/q-tv2.htm
Its 300 hundred quid.
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Yup. And sound bars cost.... ?
John
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...Yup. And sound bars cost.... ?
Around £100 for this Sharp one which would be a worthwhile upgrade for a £500 telly.
www.richersounds.com/product/soundbars/sharp/htsb200/shar-htbs200
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>>Don't be fooled by "LED", no such thing, it's LCD with LED backlighting.>>
But there are important differences:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LED-backlit_LCD_television
Re sound. I bought these (now down in price from £129; Tesco sells the 2.0 version at £199!):
www.dabs.com/products/roth-charlie-2-1-desktop-music-system---black-77GS.html
Last edited by: Stuartli on Wed 5 Jan 11 at 18:21
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You dont need to look further than a Sony 37EX403 or 37EX503, the latter has 100mhz Motionflow which is theoretically better for fast action sport etc though some say it makes the picture a little unnatural.
Both the EX403 and EX503 are 5* with What Hifi and best buys with Which who say te pictres compare well with much pricier TV's and the range of features including Freeview HD are superb.
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If you buy from John Lewis you will get a 5 year warranty "Free". If you buy from Richer Sounds you will pay 10% of the purchase price for a bullet proof warranty AND, if you don't make a claim you get the premium back at the end of the 5 years. You have to claim it within a month but that is the only catch and it is outstanding value, for what it provides
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The sound of flatscreen tellys is generally inferior to similar-sized CRTs, so prepare to be disappointed.
A soundbar is worth thinking about.
At the caravan, I have a small screen LCD TV with the sound wired through a cheapish midi hi-fi.
Works well there because the hi-fi doubles as the DAB radio and CD player for the room.
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Note there is also an EX401 model with fewer features though it does still have Freeview HD.
Richer Sounds are offering the 40EX403 at £399.95 which is fantastic!!
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Don't buy too small. I know two people who have recently upgraded from 37" to 42". Do check out local stockists; you might be surprised just how competitive they can be.
We've recently bought a Panasonic and are very happy with it.
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Just before christmas, our 2.5 yr old Samsung 40" series 5 LCD failed with a power supply capacitor problem that google suggests is very well known by the public, trade, and Samsung themselves. Samsung initially didn't want to know at all, but when pushed, said they would charge us £150 for a diagnosis, and then "they'd consider making an offer based on circumstances". i.e. no guarantee, and the £150 didn't even cover the repair. The price also excluded getting it to them.
Had we been in the US, the repair would have been fully covered, but the same courtesy is not extended to UK customers.
We got it fixed by an indie guy for £90 in the end who fixes several a week with the same fault. Nice telly, but the last time I ever deal with Samsung. When this one dies, it will be replaced with a different make.
I cannot recommend Samsung products at all.
Last edited by: DP on Wed 5 Jan 11 at 17:18
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Heard Smasung use cheap capacitors. I too would not buy their TVs.. Their printers are a different thing.
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...Heard Smasung use cheap capacitors...
My trusted man in the trade told me the big sheds order specced-down models from the manufacturers which they can sell more cheaply.
Corners are cut where the punter won't notice - power supplies being a prime example.
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But surely when that company gets a reputation for making TVs which last 18 month they have a problem?
Dell are still finding it hard to get rid of its reputation they suffered when they started using cheap capacitors.
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>> Heard Smasung use cheap capacitors. I too would not buy their TVs.. Their printers are
>> a different thing.
>>
Thats a little worrying, when we replaced my JVC CRT, I wanted a Sony or Toshiba, however SWMBO* "liked the look of the Samsung" series 6 I think it is.
So I had to compromise on getting that, its a great TV in all respects, however I agreed to get the samsung because I have a LCD computer moniter of theirs, and have had it for years, and it is still perfomring brilliantly.
However if it does go at least I can try and replace it with Sony Panasonic or Toshiba
* if she had it her way would have bought a tesco own brand TV, which for what I want a TV for (Moviews) the picture quality is not very good at all IMO.
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...Heard Samsung use cheap capacitors. I too would not buy their TVs...Thats a little worrying...
I don't think the power supply problem makes all Samsungs bad televisions.
It may be the supply lasts OK for lighter domestic use.
Wonder if it helps to switch the telly off at the wall plug at nights?
I have a basic Samsung LCD which has poorer sound and a poorer picture than the 28" Samsung CRT it replaced.
But that's the fault of earlyish LCD technology.
The set was cheapish secondhand from my local TV man.
The CRT went pop and I bought the LCD as a stopgap to give me time to decide what to do 'long term'.
That was 18 months ago....
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>> The CRT went pop and I bought the LCD as a stopgap to give me
>> time to decide what to do 'long term'.
>>
>> That was 18 months ago....
We're still using the 32" LCD Videoseven TV we bought for £728 back in June 2005 as our main TV - it was the cheapest on the market by about £50 at the time. No HDMI, so will need a DVI convertor should we ever go HD.
Last edited by: Focus on Thu 6 Jan 11 at 11:29
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>> £50 at the time. No HDMI, so will need a DVI convertor should we ever
>> go HD.
your not ever going full HD on that set.
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...We're still using the 32" LCD Videoseven TV we bought for £728 back in June 2005 as our main TV...
The slimmer size of LCDs is a real improvement.
If your old telly was a CRT, I imagine you might not have moved it to the new house.
The fact I could carry any new set into Iffy Towers with one hand means an 'impulse upgrade' is always possible.
Best steer clear of the sheds just in case.
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Thanks for all your replies so far.
Just thought of another question - if our new telly has built in Freeview HD, can we still use our current Freeview PVR box with the telly?
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Rob
don't you live in the same part of the world as stuartli - he always used to be mentioning his mate in that line of business.......
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Ooooh, there's a thought. He posts on our town's website too so I'll message him on there. Many thank-yous.
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>>don't you live in the same part of the world as stuartli
A fountain of knowledge on such matters.
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At one end of this house there's a good Panasonic modern flatscreen, not as big as it might be but OK, that does HD but hardly seems to need it. At the other end of the house there's a last-of-the-line ultimate Sony wide (and flat) screen Sony digital tube. It takes up a whole corner of the room and is a real killer to lift, but has the best picture a tube can give and really excellent speakers with obtrusively effective stereo sound.
I was going to bung it because of its bulk, but I'm glad I didn't. Won't have to silence and bully Harry Potter-obsessed nippers during the F1 season just for a start.
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Nowt wrong with CRT tellies (tellys?) AC :-)
We bought a Toshiba 27" 4:3 model second-hand six years ago for £35. Still going strong, and the picture quality is more than good enough for my dodgy 'lamps'.
Plenty of scope for us 'bottom-feeders' in the forthcoming months.....
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>> Nowt wrong with CRT tellies (tellys?) AC :-)
>>
>> We bought a Toshiba 27" 4:3 model second-hand six years ago for £35. Still going
>> strong, and the picture quality is more than good enough for my dodgy 'lamps'.
>>
>> Plenty of scope for us 'bottom-feeders' in the forthcoming months.....
I actually prefer CRT.
This PC is twin-headed with 2 Dell LCD screens, but I long for the old CRT screens I used to have (alas desk space, and the fact my old Nokia CRT blew up mean Im stuck with them).
I have yet to find any screen that give the 'depth' that a CRT displays, I was walking past a TV show yesterday, and one of their TV's made me stop and look....
It was awful! I think it may have been 3D, as items close to the camera appeared to be 'stuck over' the background.
The main reason I stopped walking was because it may me feel queasy!
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The Southport-based independent recommended by Stu:
www.smithstv.co.uk/
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i bought a panasonic 42v20 with built in freeview and freesat, the difference between the g series and the vseries are the vseries have darker tubes, and thx presets, regarding the debate between lcd and plasma picture quality, i chose the plasma better whites, natural colours and also doesnt lag when you connect a game console.
i rather choose a bigger size than 37 inch, makes a more enjoyable viewing
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My Panasonic tX-P42G20B has THX technology etc - one of the main differences between the G, GT and V series is that the latter two are 3D models now...:-)
tinyurl.com/2627rlu
V Series 3D range:
tinyurl.com/3ydlnq8
Last edited by: Stuartli on Wed 5 Jan 11 at 18:44
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>>..he always used to be mentioning his mate in that line of business....>>
He retired, but the shop was taken over by a well respected equivalent company who have three or four other shops in the area. At least one of the employees still works for the new owner.
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There's someone from Smith's coming round tomorrow to confirm that the CRT is beyond repair. I should think it is - big blue flash and smoke out of the back, cracked and smashed casing, a smal 'dent' in the screen from where it hit the drawer of the TV unit and a steadfast refusal to turn on.
Anyways, as our insurance is 'like for like' I take it that, as the CRT is a Panasonic, the insurance company will more than likely accept that we have a Panasonic as a replacement? In which case, Stuartli's recommendation of the TXP42G20 might be a goer. I do hope so - it looks lovely!
Thanks to you all for your help - I can always rely on you chaps :-)
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...big blue flash and smoke out of the back...
Good thing you were in.
I've known CRTs catch light when they go pop.
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It wouldn't have happened if we were out, Iffy. Myself and the memsahib were moving it to replace a faulty SCART lead. We both thought that the other had firm hold of it. We were mistaken.....
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>>>Anyways, as our insurance is 'like for like' I take it that, as the CRT is a Panasonic.....<<
Why should you get a new set (or new generation of product) since these large old crts are worth nothing nowadays. In fact they have a negative value - it costs money or time and effort to get rid!
If it was a 'new for old' and you can afford the premiums based on new values then ok, they should settle to your benefit.
IIRC reinstatement cover will only pay out depreciated value.
I certainly cannot afford to insure the contents on a fully valued new for old basis.
CGN will be along soon ...
Last edited by: pmh on Wed 5 Jan 11 at 20:42
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Our insurance is new for old, like for like. So we'll get a replacement. That's what we pay our premiums for so that is what I expect. Insurance companies make millions in profit every year. Nothing wrong with getting a little something back...
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I bought a Panasonic TX-P42G20B on Stuartli's recommendation and I'm very happy so far.
Best deal was at Richer Sounds and their extended warranty's are only 10% of the price. I don't usually bother with them but I thought at that price I would.
My only issue was that we have quite a large room and the 42" was replacing a 38"CRT which was big enough. SHMBO grumbled about 'going large' so the 42" seemed large enough at the time. However I reckon we could have gone to 46" or even 50", but when do you stop that monster that is the TV taking over the living room?
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However I reckon we could have gone to 46"
>> or even 50", but when do you stop that monster that is the TV taking
>> over the living room?
Exactly the same quandry here, we bought one of the first 40" LCD Sony's and it's still going well, so far.
Large room too and we keep toying with a 50" jobbie and transfering the 40 to the bedroom.
Quite ridiculous really as we rarely watch TV broadcasts such is the diabolical output of late, with celebrity this and that i'm about ready to scream.
Quality TV yes, but finding quality programs to play on it are another thing.
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I had a telling off for that when I upped the size of the replacement Toshiba under John Lewis' excellent warranty !
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It can be hard to imagine a TV you see in the shop back at home. They can seem smaller in the showroom.
When we went for an LCD TV my wife only wanted one around 26" because any larger was too big. There was a deal on at JLP at the time where the newer, better 32" Panasonic was cheaper than the smaller, inferior 26". I got the go ahead to get it and knew it would easily fit.
A few days later she wondered what the next size up was as it would have easily fitted - you can't win.
One company has just announced a 155" TV mind. At CES there's a new practical 92" though.
I look forward to OLED TVs. I wonder when Samsung will bring their AMOLED screens to the mainstream TVs. The Super AMOLED screen on the Galaxy S phone is excellent. If only we could have a larger one on an affordable TV.
Last edited by: rtj70 on Wed 5 Jan 11 at 22:44
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>> Quite ridiculous really as we rarely watch TV broadcasts such is the diabolical output of
>> late, with celebrity this and that i'm about ready to scream.
>>
Same here, GB. I spend most of my time these days either reading or surfing the net. Lurking on this forum is a very pleasant alternative to TV.
As to TV sets...if you had asked me 10 years ago, I was a Sony bigot. However, I've had terrible trouble with Sony products since (2 TVs, Video Camera, Video Recorder, DVD Recorder, Mobile Phone).
We defected to Panasonic - very happy with their LCD tellys.
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A bit OT, but which gives the better range of channels, Freeview or Freesat?
Our TV (LG, 32", HD ready) is coming to the UK with us, as is our Pace digibox.
We will probably want the facility to do the "watch one, record one" thing so will be replacing our TV input source once the dust of moving settles.
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>>>Don't buy too small. I know two people who have recently upgraded from 37" to 42".
So am I the only one here that dislikes a big TV? When we went LCD 3yrs ago first tried a 32" but found it too large so bought the 26" Panasonic we have now. Our room is a modest 14'x12' but many folks with similar viewing distance have a 40" or more.
To me I see a lack of sharpness in bigger TVs and hate a giant newsreader intruding into the room.
Bedroom TV is a 20" Sony LCD.... that's plenty for a second TV.
Last edited by: Fenlander on Thu 6 Jan 11 at 07:26
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>>Don't buy too small. I know two people who have recently upgraded from 37" to 42".
We had quite a shock when the new 42" Panny was delivered and installed in our lounge, and for a few hours, given the chance, we may have swapped it for something smaller. But it's a big room, and within a day or two it looked as much at home in the alcove as the 28" CRT it replaced.
I don't think I'd want one much bigger, though.
Last edited by: Clk Sec on Thu 6 Jan 11 at 07:55
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>> So am I the only one here that dislikes a big TV?
Not by any means. 26" is the max we will go to as otherwise it's intrusive, and the room is about the same size as yours. It's a Panasonic
It does mean you can't tell the difference between SD and HD from the sofa. It also means that if you sit much closer (by rearranging chairs or sitting on the floor) HD looks excellent and SD looks atrocious, so it's a no win if you care.
Last edited by: Crankcase on Thu 6 Jan 11 at 09:05
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TVs are surprisingly cheaper nowadays.
There is a debate between LCD & Plasma.
Someone working in Currys told me plasmas have shorter longevity than LCDs (don't know how true is that).
I personally don't find any difference between LCD & Plasma (then again, I don't find difference between FWD & RWD unless it is snowing :o) )
Make sure it has HDMI port (most of them have it anyway) so that you can connect directly with your computer (assuming it has HDMI port as well).
Some TVs come with USB socket nowadays. But how it is used varies among models. In some cases you can only use it to update firmware of TV. In other cases, you can play MPEG files directly from USB disk.
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>>Make sure it has HDMI port (most of them have it anyway) so that you can connect directly with your computer (assuming it has HDMI port as well).>>
I use an Ethernet cable - my Panny can be use both wired and wirelessly...:-)
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>> So am I the only one here that dislikes a big TV? ...
No, not at all. For ages, albeit in a cottage with low ceilings, we had a 26" LCD TV, and that was an upgrade from a 22" LCD which just sat on the shelf of a bookcase. We moved last year, and we now have much larger and taller rooms (11' ceilings downstairs), but the 26" LCD still looked plenty big enough for us...
...However, just before Christmas I decided we 'needed' a new TV. Wanted it for Freeview HD really (no Sky or cable for us) and was looking for a 37", but there wasn't really much choice at that size.
That left 32" or 42" as default options, and as the larger one was not much more expensive we eventually went for a 42" LG LED HD (with HD Freeview tuner) one. It doesn't seem excessively large now it's in place, but lets see what my parents think when they come round at the weekend ;-)
A bonus is that we can now get BBC iPlayer directly (via WIFI and a dongle) to the TV
Peter
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Plasma vs LCD
Switch on, leave for 5 minutes and then place hand above cooling outlets on the top..
Plasma used to be a LOT hotter...
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Plasma as a technology is dying,
Stuartli will argue with me but he's on to a hiding worse than the Aussies on this, the number of available Plasma sets have dropped by 50% in the last 6 months, will be a specialist market in 18 months.
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>>...will be a specialist market in 18 months. >>
You will keep raking up this nonsense...:-)
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check how many were being sold a year ago, with the number on sale now.
you will have to wait to be proved wrong.
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>>you will have to wait to be proved wrong. >>
I've no qualms...:-)
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Freesat and Freeview share most core channels, but vary in some respect.
No dave on Freesat, no CBS channels on freeview,
Freeview has C4 HD, freesat does not
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Flat screen TVs? PAH - all Emperor's new clothes if you ask me. Much prefer our 12 year old 21" CRT. And I prefer a CRT PC Monitor.
Bah humbug...luddite
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Not at all. who wants to give up 4 feet of space for a glass bowl and neck.
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For me, Freeview suits all my needs perfectly, im not interested in the low rent American channels that subscription services offer me, I dont watch sport and for Movies I have all the ones I like on DVD anyway.
Sky one, two and 3 are not worth the money to pay for them as part of a subscription again Rubbish American imports and tat TV anyway
Freeview is perfect, and the Yorkshireman in me likes it becasue its free.
We have Virgin, SWMBO wants it, she pays for it I only watch the free to air channels (with the exception of Discovery Channels which I have to admit are ok)
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>> to air channels (with the exception of Discovery Channels which I have to admit are
>> ok)
As a canny Yorkshireman you will know that if you wait for a year or two, discovery programs appear on Freeview on Quest, for nowt.
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Yes thats, very true unfortunalty its not enough sway to pusrsuade SWMBO that we dont need Virgin (Subscription TV), She cant live without her American Imported "bore me to tears" Cop Drama's and Sit Coms
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>> Yes thats, very true unfortunalty its not enough sway to pusrsuade SWMBO that we dont
>> need Virgin (Subscription TV), She cant live without her American Imported "bore me to tears"
>> Cop Drama's and Sit Coms
Don't let her near the new Virgin Tivo box then. It's supposed to record all sorts of things that it thinks you'll like and that you didn't know were even on, automatically, so it will find loads of new shows for her.
Of course, being Virgin, what it will actually do is record seventeen programmes it knows you don't like, and then play them back automatically when you're out, but that's by the by.
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I was thinking of starting a thread on this one CC - I am a TiVo owner (since maybe 2001) as well as V+, and TiVo knocks the spots off V+ and Sky for functionality and usability - but with the advent of HD etc it's days were numbered, even in my household.
My TiVo does predictive recording, based on genres that you commonly watch, and it is brilliant at catching things you might otherwise have missed. Series recording features are much easier to use and more reliable than V+.
They've apparently done a bit of a soft rollout this month to employees and it will hit the streets for the rest of us in the next month or so.
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>> My TiVo does predictive recording, based on genres that you commonly watch, and it is
>> brilliant at catching things you might otherwise have missed. Series recording features are much easier
>> to use and more reliable than V+.
We've already decided not to go Tivo simply because of that. Our V+ box already has so many hours of recorded stuff on it that we can never ever catch up with it and we just don't need another box pulling ever more things in.
Actually, be interesting to ask how many hours of TV a week everyone watches, roughly? We watch about an hour and half a day maximum, including weekends, so perhaps ten or eleven hours a week total at most, sometimes much less.
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>> be interesting to ask how many hours of TV a week everyone watches, roughly?
Depends if i've got a boxed set for a good series or not. That 24 was the best thing ever for our ironing basket. Could stand ironing for hours at a time with that on the telly :-)
Telly's rotten, there's never anything on. It's all soaps and even the news is mediocre at best these days.
Boxed sets seem to fit me best, also none of that hanging on week to week for the next installment!
Last edited by: Skoda on Thu 6 Jan 11 at 16:28
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>> >> be interesting to ask how many hours of TV a week everyone watches, roughly?
about 1-2 hours.
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LOL
Good Idea Ill try to keep her away from that one.
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>> Cop Drama's and Sit Coms
Ok well lets see
I have downloaded, and we have watch "Blue Bloods" the latest cop series to be shown int he states. Sky wont have it for ages.
I downloaded "Spartacus - Blood and Sand" a spectacularly load of tosh, 4 months before it appeared on bravo on sky.
Sky? who needs em,
Last edited by: VxFan on Fri 7 Jan 11 at 01:50
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>> Sky? who needs em,
Not me, I refuse* to give any of my money to Rupert Murdoch, and I will not have Sky in the house.
I will not pay RM to watch a load of American imports and dont even get me started on the proposed buy out of Sky lets not forget it was him who forced Virgin to pull Sky one from its services becasuse jacked up the price when Wirgin took over from NTL how is that fair competition and for what a channel that only shows reruns of the Simpsons anyway.
*Im aware that I have various DVD's with 20th Century Fox on them - but I love Starwars
Last edited by: Redviper on Thu 6 Jan 11 at 15:35
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>> a channel that only shows reruns of the Simpsons anyway.
>>
Sky One redeemed itself in our house by showing the truly wondrous Stargate Universe, of which we are the only fans. Which is of course why it has now been cancelled, when they've shown the last ten in a month or so.
But we liked it a lot.
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...Sky? who needs em,...
'Need' is a strong word, but I have Sky for live cricket and football which is not readily available elsewhere.
I also watch two or three movies a week.
Other channels show films, but the best ones seem to be on Sky, and I do like a film to be uninterrupted.
I watch old episodes of MASH on a comedy channel, which isn't on Freeview, also Sky Sports News, which used to be on Freeview but is no longer.
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>> 'Need' is a strong word, but I have Sky for ...
I wouldn't mind watching some of that, but if you don't mind me asking, how much does it cost?
We've just got freeview - my dad's from Yorkshire :)
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for one movie pack and one sky sports pack - 37 quid.
A month
every month
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>> for one movie pack and one sky sports pack - 37 quid.
>>
>> A month
>>
>> every month
>>
IIRC Sky's ARPU last financial year was over 500 quid per subscriber, I hate to think what some people are paying; we have what used to be the family pack and that's 'only' about 260 quid per year. I'd dump it tomorrow but that shed's still not very habitable this time of year...
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>> IIRC Sky's ARPU last financial year was over 500 quid per subscriber, I hate to
>> think what some people are paying; we have what used to be the family pack
>> and that's 'only' about 260 quid per year. I'd dump it tomorrow but that shed's
>> still not very habitable this time of year...
That, in a nutshell, is my problem too. :-(
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...but if you don't mind me asking...
Not at all.
£58 a month, including Sky+ and Sky broadband.
I have Freeview with a PVR (same one as yours, I think Focus) at the caravan.
It's a decent set-up and I wouldn't hesitate to bin Sky if finances became tight.
Equally, I like having it and I know - and Sky knows - I'm prepared to pay the current price and the occasional increase in future.
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We're on the verge of a new set to replace our ten year old 26" CRT which is getting a bit tired and fuzzy, not helped by the fact that I dropped the original remote into a mug of tea some years back and had to get one of these universals that can't access all the menu functions.
I'll probably go for a 32", but as neither of us are big TV watchers I don't intend to pay much or anything over £250.
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>> £58 a month, including Sky+ and Sky broadband.
Thanks - I can certainly see the appeal but don't think we can justify paying that much at the moment. Perhaps I could persuade my stepsons they need it and get them to pay for it :)
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>>>> £58 a month, including Sky+ and Sky broadband.>>
Yet people moan about the cost of a TV licence, which also confers the right to receive television transmissions, whether using a TV, VCR, PVR or even a computer PCI card/USB stick that features a TV tuner....:-)
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>> >>>> £58 a month, including Sky+ and Sky broadband.>>
>>
>> Yet people moan about the cost of a TV licence, which also confers the right
>> to receive television transmissions, whether using a TV, VCR, PVR or even a computer PCI
>> card/USB stick that features a TV tuner....:-)
>>
And the point being you STILL have to pay your license as well as SKY at the same time.
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>> And the point being you STILL have to pay your license as well as SKY
>> at the same time.
>>
But why do we have to pay for Sky when they inturupt programing with commercials
Thats the whole point of the licence, that the programmes are commerical free
We are not the only country to have a TV Licence fee - some countries you pay the licence to the particular broadcaster, and they STILL interupt the ptogramming for commecrcials
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Television_licence
IMO its one or the other, not both.
And for the people that Winge about the Licence fee, then carry on paying for your American inported rubbish on sky, and dont watch BBC National/Local Television, dont listen to BBC National/Local Radio, and dont use BBC I player, Dont use BBC Websites - unless your happy for all that to have adverts for Shampoo, Cornflakes etc
Last edited by: Redviper on Thu 6 Jan 11 at 23:53
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>>Thats the whole point of the licence, that the programmes are commerical free>>
Way, way off beam, sorry...:-)
The TV licence fee is collected on behalf of the government partially to fund the BBC, partially as a stealth tax (the BBC doesn't get it all) and partially as a right to actually receive television transmissions by whatever source (satellite, VCRs, PCI TV cards, USB TV sticks etc i.e. anything containing a TV tuner).
Even if you never watch BBC, ITV, Channel Four or have Freeview or Freesat, but only have Sky and similar satellite transmissions, you still must have a TV licence. See:
tinyurl.com/3273mo2
(Currently unavailable at present, probably because of website maintenance).
Last edited by: Stuartli on Fri 7 Jan 11 at 00:04
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>> But why do we have to pay for Sky when they inturupt programing with commercials
>>
>> Thats the whole point of the licence, that the programmes are commerical free
Nobody has to have Sky do they? But you have to pay for most of their channels.
The TV licence as said by Stuartli covers the BBC channels only. Something has to pay for the others. ITV is struggling because of advertising revenue. Sky seems to do okay with subscriptions.
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>>And the point being you STILL have to pay your licens(c)e as well as SKY at the same time. >>
I had hoped that fact would have been conveyed originally...:-)
What I would also find annoying about Sky (apart from the fact I detest Murdoch and wouldn't hand over a penny for his service) is that, no matter how many dozens or hundreds of channels you have available, you can presumably only watch one and (if required) record another?
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>> £58 a month, including Sky+ and Sky broadband.
I had one of those 'international' calls the other day inquiring whether I was a SKY subscriber. The callers english meant that 'I wouldn't pee on Rupert Murdoch if he was in fire' required a bit of explanation.
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When I ditched Sky about seven years back they offered me three months at £1 per month. I turned it down, but have often regretted it because I wonder how long they would have kept that or a similar offer going. I cannot get the free broadband from TalkTalk yet because my exchange has not been upgraded. Every three months for the past couple of years I have phoned them to cancel the package and they have offered me various three monthly deals which do effectively give me the broadband for nothing, in fact the latest gets me the whole package including anytime free calls for £14.50 per month.
These people seem desperate to keep the subscriber numbers high, in the case of Sky probably so they can show advertisers they have X million viewers.
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>>I cannot get the free broadband from TalkTalk yet because my exchange has not been upgraded>>
Which exchange are you on? Seems a bit bizarre as TalkTalk can offer the BT equivalent if necessary.
Check your exchange out at:
www.samknows.com/broadband/exchange_search
and
www.samknows.com/broadband/llu/cpw
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I cant remember the exactly terminology but basically on the cheap deals TalkTalk (Opal) will pay BT rent to have their own broadband in their exchanges, I think is is called an LLU.
In smaller exchanges it is too costly to do for few too subscribers so they have to basically resell BT's broadband, BT might charge them £10 a month per account for this. Therefore they cannot offer free or cheap broadband unless their own equipment is installed at the local exchange.
Last edited by: RattleandSmoke on Fri 7 Jan 11 at 01:40
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Spot on Rattle.
My exchange is Fishguard, which has yet to be "unbundled", as they say. TalkTalk keep telling me it will be soon, but I don't care as my free phonecall to them every three months gets me the same or sometimes an even better deal.
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>> My exchange is Fishguard, which has yet to be "unbundled", as they say. TalkTalk keep
>> telling me it will be soon, but I don't care as my free phonecall to
>> them every three months gets me the same or sometimes an even better deal.
>>
AFAIK, talktalk stopped their "free" broadband offer months/years ago, and is available only to those who stay on legacy contracts.
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>>AFAIK, talktalk stopped their "free" broadband offer months/years ago, and is available only to those who stay on legacy contracts.>>
TalkTalk most certainly still does pretty much the equivalent of free broadband with its Essentials or Plus packages (straight phone deals are slightly cheaper)..:-)
See: sales.talktalk.co.uk/products/broadband/index-bb.html?portalId=TALKTALK
LLU represents Local Loop Unbundling (ISPs' own equipment in BT exchanges) which enables them to offer reduced phone or broadband/phone packages.
See:
www.samknows.com/broadband/exchange_search
for full details on your local exchange and which ISPs have installed their LLU equipment.
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>> TalkTalk most certainly still does pretty much the equivalent of free broadband with its Essentials
Most certainly NOT.
If they charge you even a penny, it NOT free.
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>>If they charge you even a penny, it NOT free.>>
Still vastly cheaper than paying for it separately......
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>> SKY subscriber. The callers english meant that 'I wouldn't pee on Rupert Murdoch if he
>> was in fire' required a bit of explanation.
>>
>>
Why all this hatred? What has RM done to you?
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...Why all this hatred? What has RM done to you?...
I've been thinking the same thing.
All the guy has done is made a massive success of his chosen business, yet every time Sky is mentioned on here, Murdoch gets slaughtered.
I reckon it's the green-eyed monster rearing its ugly head - again.
I don't like or dislike Murdoch - don't know him - but I admire him in the way I admire anyone who is brilliant at what they do.
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I think it is because of the way RM has managed to control so much of the UK's media. I remember in geography at school doing an entire lesson about RM and his evils. I think it is fair to say the geography teacher didn't like him very much!
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I worked for RM for 7 years in my first proper job.
I don't understand why Sky gets such a slagging, nor what's wrong with imported American TV shows, some of which are absolutely fantastic.
Ignorant tv snobbery.
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Absolutley nothing to do with Murdoch's wealth as such. Everything to do with his attempts to influence our politics and the craven behaviour towards him of our politicians.
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...Everything to do with his attempts to influence our politics and the craven behaviour towards him of our politicians...
I reckon he's no different in that respect to all the other 'press barons' we've had over years.
They've all enjoyed the ear of the government to a greater or lesser extent, which doesn't make Murdoch right, of course.
I also think the influence of Murdoch and his ilk is exaggerated by a population which seems to lap up conspiracy theories.
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I for one am pretty upset that he pays no income tax, at all, in any country.
Nasty little weazle.
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>> I for one am pretty upset that he pays no income tax, at all, in
>> any country.
>>
You hate him for that?
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>> >> I for one am pretty upset that he pays no income tax, at all,
>> in
>> >> any country.
>> >>
>>
>> You hate him for that?
Yes, why not?
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>> Yes, why not?
>>
Doing nothing illegal. Provides legal jobs (and pays their taxes) for thousands of people all over the world.
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The Harmsworth/Rothermere clan and particularly Beaverbrook were far worse in the thirties. Try reading Lance Price's 'Where Power Lies'.
Murdoch is perhaps the last of the line but still has far too much influence in what is supposed to be a pluralist democracy.
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>> Absolutley nothing to do with Murdoch's wealth as such. Everything to do with his attempts
>> to influence our politics and the craven behaviour towards him of our politicians.
>>
Your hate him for that?
|
|
Hate is a strong word but I regard Murdoch as a malign influence without whom our media and politics might be better places. The wouldn't wee on him stuff ws perhaps slightly tic.
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>> Hate is a strong word but I regard Murdoch as a malign influence without whom
>> our media and politics might be better places.
Malign influence?
I think our media and politics might be a lot worse were it not for Murdoch.
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>> I think our media and politics might be a lot worse were it not for
>> Murdoch.
>>
Well I suppose Italy might be an example of worse but I can't see Rupert as a cleanser of the stables.
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...but I can't see Rupert as a cleanser of the stables...
Nor me, however:
The Times was going down the toilet until Murdoch got hold of it.
The Sun has established itself as a national institution and the nation's best selling daily newspaper under Murdoch.
The News of the World is a great campaigning newspaper in the finest tradition of Sunday tabloid journalism.
It is also the nation's biggest selling newspaper.
Sky News made the BBC sharpen their news output - in my opinion.
Sky Sports made the BBC and ITV sharpen their sports output - in my opinion.
You can debate why Murdoch transformed his media organisations, but they have all thrived under his ownership and are much the better and stronger for it.
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Murdoch is a net contributor to the British economy, despite his quite legitimate personal tax arrangements. The amount of foreign money he has brought into the tax take from football alone is considerable.
Some people are not happy unless a business is state controlled and being subsidised by the taxpayer.
Anyway, to get back on track anyone got any opinions on LG televisions? Currys are doing a 32" for £255.
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>>Anyway, to get back on track anyone got any opinions on LG televisions? >>
For generally straightforward, comprehensive reviews on TVs, hi-fi and other consumer areas try:
whathifi.com/
www.trustedreviews.com/tvs/
|
|
Had a 37" LG for years now, was a real bargain at the time (c £550 IIRC) and it's a good TV.
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Well I have been looking at the prices of a Panasonic TX-L32D25B.
The results were interesting. Cheapest seems to be Dixons and about the most expensive is TESCO. John Lewis seems the best deal.
Cheapest £588,and Amazon close at £600, Richer Sounds were £660 (not showing it anymore ), John Lewis £679 but Tesco at £800.
I emailed JL to say web price is £748 and they have not yet changed it.
I emailed Tesco as they had an error in their spec that has not been corrected and " we do not price match on an individual basis" ( well in my book 1598 Clubcard points and 6month interest free does not close the £150 gap very much compared on JL).
I came across similar Panasonic models and eventually found that the do not havea swivel base. So time to get the JL CC out and earn some points !
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>>prices of a Panasonic TX-L32D25B.>>
I would get a Sony KDL32EX503 and save. Read the reviews of the EX503 range.
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>> And this ~
>>
That's the one! 5* reviews.
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>> This is an arf decent telly comrade henry ~
>>
That's an old model and not Freview HD.
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>>Well I have been looking at the prices of a Panasonic TX-L32D25B.
Henryk
We bought the same model (with a larger screen) a few months ago and are very pleased with it.
We had our best price from a local independent stockist. Could be worth a try in your area.
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Sorry I've been asleep so may have missed something.
My questions to Badwolf are:
a) which set did you buy in the end?
b) did your insurance co. come up with the full purchase price?
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Hello Percy,
The insurance company have taken a ruddy age to get this sorted but have finally settled. They haven't stumped up a fortune, but have agreed enough to enable us to buy a very nice Toshiba 40" job. We decided that we didn't really need Freeview or Freesat HD so we found this telly at Richer Sounds. It's an ex-display model, but in perfect nick. I think we got a bargain as it was £380, including a comprehensive five year warranty.
It looks ginormous after the tidgy little 22" we've been using!
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>>We decided that we didn't really need Freeview
Surely your new tv has Freeview?????
|
|
When he put "Freeview or Freesat HD" I think he meant "Freeview HD or Freesat HD".
Last edited by: Focus on Fri 4 Feb 11 at 22:16
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Badwolf, you seem to have done okay and are hopefully set up for a few years to come with the change to digital only just round the corner (for the south and south east of the UK).
We are still plodding along with cast off CRT jobs (and set top boxes to extend our viewing choices), that is what happens if one accepts the challenge to repair whatever fault has caused them to be cast off. Inevitably we'll move to the new technology soon.
Funny how prices haven't moved that much, the only set we ever bought new was in 1974, an ITT colour (with semiconductors and valves) for £208 plus £12 for the stand. With some luck and patience, it lasted over 20 years and was still a goer when I put it in the back of the dust cart.
A work colleague did have an insurance job a bit like yours when the house next door to his took a lightning strike and his Panasonic set went down. The local shop wrote a nice letter which he showed to the insurance company. Result; he got a new TV and I got the old one. After some fiddling about inside I bought a new chip (I think it was about £12) and we had at least 5 years out of the set....
Meanwhile enjoy the new set and let's hope you can get your money back on the warranty!
|
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Ironic really, as the quality of TVs have improved out of all recognition the programmes have become mostly crap.
|
|
You'll be missing The Grove Family, RR?
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>> You'll be missing The Grove Family, RR?
>>
Thomas The Tank Engine would do.
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Well I have been carefully monitoring prices for the last month and have been very surprised how they have varied day by day from the same supplier.
Prices from some sources have gone down up down up some twice a day.
So I have now ordered one from John Lewis as they dropped their price to £549 yesterday.
It is the lowest price around ( within a fiver or so.) and of course a five year guarantee.
Tesco are still asking silly prices. Richer Sounds only had a couple of returns for the same price. Dixons matched prices yesterday but upped it today.
So from my experience it is well worth watching the market for a few weeks.
I have been astounded at the prices switchback in such a short timescale.
Since the new year I was expecting import cost rises and VAT to push up prices while ageing product would lower the prices. Amazon showed the lowest prices on one day one followed by " out of stock" and then a price jump.
I do not have a local independant but have monitored shops in Kingston and I have the best deal.
Now waiting for delivery next week & RTFM before leaping into the Freeview HD world.
Then maybe a Panasonic dongle but they are pricy.
A bigger maybe is their 720 Skype camera for the tele but it is really ££££s.
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>>Then maybe a Panasonic dongle but they are pricy.>>
Should work with any dongle (I presume you are getting a Panasonic)? A tip. Set the SSID and password for your router in the TV's wireless menu first, especially before an Ethernet (wired) equivalent.
Panasonic still "claims", for instance, that the only USB external hard drive that is guaranteed to work with its sets as a recording medium is a Buffalo branded model, but it's not true. I use a Seagate 1T Essentials USB external hard drive.
The key is, when setting the recording timer, to NOT pick "Ext Recorder" on the timer page, but to scroll down to "USB Hard Drive". The confusion arises because a USB drive is listed at the top of the page, but Ext Recorder refers to a PVR type.
Even Panasonic themselves were not aware of this until I contacted them some time back and they checked it out on their own equipment whilst I was on the phone.
Last edited by: Stuartli on Thu 3 Mar 11 at 19:03
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>>Should work with any dongle (I presume you are getting a Panasonic)?
Yes getting a Panasonic.
Their dongle is £100 + on Amazon and one of them priced on Ebay at a silly £150 !!!
Cheapest I have found is £73 collected or £50 upwards on Ebay according to past sales.
I have been searching for an alternative dongle and have found few that others have tried and tested.
D-Link seems one for £10 - £20 but need to check which model.
Many thanks for the details you have posted.
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Sony's need a Sony dongle, I bought one for £60 ish though needn't have bothered cos the Sony BDP-S570 Blueray has built in wifi and upscales.
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If you go to 7DayShop.com you can buy dongles from under a tenner delivered.
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>> If you go to 7DayShop.com you can buy dongles from under a tenner delivered.
>>
As I say Sony TVs need a Sony dongle.
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>>As I say Sony TVs need a Sony dongle.>>
It's a Panasonic that's involved.....
Last edited by: Stuartli on Thu 3 Mar 11 at 22:46
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>> >>As I say Sony TVs need a Sony dongle.>>
>>
>> It's a Panasonic that's involved.....
>>
I think the point is being made that the same make of dongle and TV should work together .
There are cheap dongles out there but do they do the same job ?
From what I read it seems not, hence me trying to find specific dongles that are proven to work.
I have been trawling the web to identify such dongles . One site advertises " compatibility" but the dongle is still £40/50. Netgear is £53.
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H, it's new model time so there should be some really good deals on last years models. Hence the recent price variation. Last year was significant in that Freeview HD tuners became commonplace and 3D appeared. This year it's probably an exciting new shape for the remote.
John
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what does it matter
buy something from out of the eu
complain bitterly that local council services are crap[ as you ring the 0846 number to bangladeshk that your phone isnt working on 3y at $5 per month
the factory in wales that built proper crt screens is no more
do a google to see real jobs lost.........
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I think Sony's are made in Poland but don't quote me on that.
Doesn't help much on the job front though.
John
|
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Sony used to have a very large factory that made CRT TVs in Bridgend in South Wales. Long gone. It was a big employer in the area.
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20 odd years ago I had a Panasonic TV made in UK (Wales I think) and a Ferguson video made in Japan. Pretty much all made in Turkey now I suppose, other than high end stuff.
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Toshiba used to make superbly reliable CRT TVs at a Plymouth plant around 20 years ago - I had two of them, including its first Nicam model, and both proved utterly reliable.
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>> Sony used to have a very large factory that made CRT TVs in Bridgend in
>> South Wales. Long gone. It was a big employer in the area.
>>
The factory is still there and still Sony, it just does different things these days.
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Philips, later LG, had a factory at Belmont, Durham City, until a few years ago.
It produced CRT televisions, but was never upgraded to do flat panels.
The unions claimed that was deliberate so management could shut the place and tell everyone: "Sorry, the market for the product has gone."
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>> Last year was significant in that Freeview HD tuners became commonplace.
>>
IIRC SONY were the first about the middle of the year and there are not that many more since, as far as I can see.
Freeview HD was one "must have" feature I was looking for.
At least I seem to be making some progress on the dongle hunt.
I have now found the Netgear WNDA3100 RangeMax V2 ( must be a V2 ) for just over £30 which the Avforums guys say works with the Panasonic Viera.
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>>IIRC SONY were the first about the middle of the year and there are not that many more since, as far as I can see.>>
Panasonic announced the first Freeview HD tuner equipped TVs in early February 2010 - I got my Panasonic TX-P42G20 about six weeks later when it arrived in the shops (Freeview and Freesat HD tuners).
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Sony announced the Freeview HD range in Feb 10 and I got ours in March coinciding with our transmitter going HD.
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Thanks for the corrections.
Is the Freeview HD worth the wait cos I will not find out until Monday?
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>> >> Is the Freeview HD worth the wait >>
Yep, the difference between Freeview and Freeview HD is bigger than the difference between DVD and Blueray, HD is great on our TV certainly. We get BBC HD, BBC One HD, ITV1 HD and Channel 4 HD.
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Panasonic revealed details of its 2010 on its website on January 7th last year I've discovered during a check, matching Sony:
tinyurl.com/65yqs4e
Something of interest for Zero:
tinyurl.com/4vkrlcy
Freeview HD is excellent on my Panny although, to be fair, the SD images are well above expectations (I used the THX settings for both Freeview and Freesat after buying the set).
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>>The future is now
And I thought buying a 42" was a bit much.
(Dog... That's much better)
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>>(Dog... That's much better)<<
All I need now is a Pat on the head :)
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>>I have now found the Netgear WNDA3100 RangeMax V2 ( must be a V2 ) for just over £30 which the Avforums guys say works with the Panasonic Viera.
>>
For anyone else who wants to buy one it looks like this with a gray button on it.
www.broadbandbuyer.co.uk/Shop/ShopDetail.asp?ProductID=5321
I am amused at the prices on Fleabay as some are paying more than the price on that site and some asking way way over the top.
Some of the images are for the earlier version which is not suitable for Panasonic TVs.
Google price list shows many at £40 /50 and upwards. It pays to search !
Last edited by: henry k on Mon 7 Mar 11 at 14:34
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>>Google price list shows many at £40 /50 and upwards. It pays to search !
>>
Fortunately I ordered my dongle a couple of days ago as the price is no longer £30 but £50 from the same supplier so I await its arrival.
Now thinking of a DIY satellite dish kit. I just need the simple version which is from a very cheap £22 plus a signal strength meter ( and all the way up to a power job at £100.)
I was not aware how cheap some things can be :-)
As the receiver is built into the TV I might as well give it a try.
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>>I put this one up last year. Works well, - 4 feeds for your PVR & tele.
>>
Thaqnks for that "local" info I will go for it
>>
>> If you have a south or south east facing wall its a doddle.
Yes I have plus it is above my flat roof so no ladder antics required.
I already have Freeview HD so it is just really to play with.
What other satellites are worth aiming at ?
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This interactive map gives you a good idea of which way the dish needs to point and how high nearby stuff can be before it causes an obstruction. Just stick your postcode in, it defaults to the Astra satellites for Sky etc. but this can be changed to any other satellite.
www.dishpointer.com/
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Given the satellites from spamcan, here is what they provide.
www.lyngsat.com/freetv/United-Kingdom.html
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The cheap analogue meters work well when you are in the footprint - if on the edge of the footprint you need to be a bit more precise. On Sky boxes the signal strength and quality indicators are next to useless. If you use a cheap proprietary receiver, most of them display the signal strength and quality for the signal for the channel that you are actually tuned to. Good idea to set up on the channel that gives the most drop out problems in bad weather.
For UK use the meters with an audible signal work well when you are balanced up a ladder!
My advice is to always install the dish at low level so readjustment wthout a ladder is easy.
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>> The cheap analogue meters work well when you are in the footprint - if on
>> the edge of the footprint you need to be a bit more precise.
If its that marginal, you buy a dish with higher gain. The one I used and recommended is not good enough for fringe area reception.
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For an extra fiver you can get much the same kit with a 'Zone 2' dish, which presumably has a bit more gain:-
www.amazon.co.uk/complete-Satellite-brackets-connectors-installation/dp/B002Y2QQZA/ref=pd_cp_ce_3
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The footprint for Astra 2D has been tightened considerably over the last few years.
www.brymar.co.uk/info/Astra/astra_sky/astra_sky.html scroll down to 2D map
In southern France you can just about get away with 80cm dish with a good LNB but ITV can be little problematic some evenings.
I keep meaning to realign my 1m dish, and see if it makes a difference. 8?years ago most people could get away with a 60cm dish.
Last edited by: pmh on Thu 17 Mar 11 at 11:58
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I came across this site ( cowboy aerial installations )
www.wrightsaerials.tv/roguesgallery/view.shtml
Who do you trust out there on your roof.
Fortunately I do not need them for my installation.
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I am still on the learning curve re dish installation and was reassured that I can easily site my dish where I want to after using
www.dishpointer.com/.
I now have a pretty picture from Google earth of my house with the aerial direction superimposed.
The site starts off from the USA but put in my address and post code and up pops my street but data for, I guess, a favourite US satellite but helpfully gives a list of popular satellites for UK viewers.
I am yet again impressed with the way some of the information out there is being presented to help the likes of me.
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When I put my terrestrial aerial up, I got up google earth and drew a vector on it from my house mounting point to the centre of the crystal palace transmitter . Zooming in on my house gave me the local feature* on the vector I needed to point the aerial at.
Take care there is a group of satellites very close to the astra ones, give you great signal strength but no programs! Missed them once when I put my installation up, but locked on them when i renewed my mums dish! Most confusing!
The local feature was as well defined as a change in the ridge direction on the neighbours roof.
Last edited by: Zero on Sat 19 Mar 11 at 09:55
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>> Take care there is a group of satellites very close to the astra ones, give you great signal strength but no programs!
>>
I have become aware of this especially as indicated on the cheap compass in my link below.
I have a decent Silva compass but was interested to find this cheap "Satellite Finding Compass" at a not stupid price compared with a very expensive clever professional installers model.
accessorystore.co.uk/
www.accessorystore.co.uk/acatalog/The_Omnisat_Satellite_Finding_Compass.html#aMAX_2dB2022
www.accessorystore.co.uk/acatalog/The_Omnisat_Digital_Satellite_Finding_Compass.html#aMAX_2dB2030
So £5.21 or £38.56
I will still have a lot of £££s left over compared with a "professional installation"
>> The local feature was as well defined as a change in the ridge direction on the neighbours roof.
>>
That is exactly the same sort of starting point for my installation.
I collected my Netgear dongle from the PO this morning so that is my toy for the weekend :-)
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>> I have become aware of this especially as indicated on the cheap compass in my
>> link below.
>> I have a decent Silva compass but was interested to find this cheap "Satellite Finding
>> Compass" at a not stupid price compared with a very expensive clever professional installers model.
>>
>> accessorystore.co.uk/
>> www.accessorystore.co.uk/acatalog/The_Omnisat_Satellite_Finding_Compass.html#aMAX_2dB2022
>> www.accessorystore.co.uk/acatalog/The_Omnisat_Digital_Satellite_Finding_Compass.html#aMAX_2dB2030
>> So £5.21 or £38.56
>>
>> I will still have a lot of £££s left over compared with a "professional installation"
You'll not find it with a compass. You need the signal strength meter with a tone, the dish movements are minuscule.
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Oh and be careful, the receiver send a DC voltage up the coax to switch polarity of the LNB.
You don't want to short this out or you could kill your receiver. So only power up the set when all connectors are inserted correctly. (the signal strength meter uses this as its power source)
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Thanks for that great bit of advice.
Can the Konig be run off a battery to avoid this risk?
I have looked at some other units that have internal batteries.
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Its not a problem, just a warning.
You will need to have all the cables in place and connectors tightened anyway when you start adjusting your dish.
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>>You'll not find it with a compass. You need the signal strength meter with a tone, the dish movements are minuscule.
>>
I am taking your earlier suggestion and getting a Konig.
From what I have read and seen on Youtube the audible signal is exceedingly useful to confirm that the dish does not move when finally tightening the fixing bolts.
I would have expected that some dishes would be available with vernier type adjusters on them but I guess it is all about price rather than quality.
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>> I would have expected that some dishes would be available with vernier type adjusters on
>> them
Life is never that easy.
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>>
>> I would have expected that some dishes would be available with vernier type adjusters on
>> them but I guess it is all about price rather than quality.
>>
The ones I used at work had vernier adjustments, but then they were a couple of grand a go rather than 30 quid.
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Which telly? - madf
