HD Ready LCD TV recommendations
 

I'm on the look out for a new HD Ready TV to replace my ageing 28" widescreen CRT iDTV.



I thinking either LG or Samsung, so far.


I had a quick look on the Dixons (:erm:) website last night, & the prices don't seem too bad, much cheaper than when I was initially considering getting one earlier in the year.


27" LG HD Ready LCD for £470something (27LZ55), 26" Samsung HD Ready LCD for £499 (LE26R72BX). No built-in Freeview for either though.


26" Samsung HD Ready LCD with built-in Freeview for ~ £580 (LE26R73BD).


32" LG HD Ready LCD, no Freeview, for £590 (32LX2R).


32" LG HD Ready LCD, with built-in Freeview, for ~ £620 (32LC2DB).


32" Samsung HD Ready LCD, no Freeview, for ~£630 (LE32R72BX)


32" Samsung HD Ready LCD, with built-in Freeview, for ~ £690 (LE32R73BD).




Seeing as the normal native resolution tends, AFAIK, to be 1366 x 768, is it actually better to get a 26 or 27", as the 32" would have the same res. but have bigger pixels?



Anyone got & can recommend any of the ones I've mentioned above, or got another not listed that's worth a mention?


EDIT: I'd be hooking up an XBox 360 (using Component or VGA), a normal Sky Digibox using RGB SCART ('till I can eventually convince the other half to then get Sky HD ), an old XBox using RGB SCART, & possibly later on also the 360's add-on HD-DVD drive. I'm not too fussed about built-in Freeview, but it is quite handy (I suppose if I got one without integrated DVB-T I could just buy a separate Freeview box & use it as an excuse to get a Freeview PVR).

Re: HD Ready LCD TV recommendations
 

I was reading somewhere that to get a true HD picture, it has to be 32" or above. Just trying to find the link now.

Re: HD Ready LCD TV recommendations
 

I would go for any with res of 1080p, myself.

And probably at least two HDMI connectors (set top box and DVD)

Re: HD Ready LCD TV recommendations
 

I'm waiting until 1080p comes out and a cheap price. I think 12 months might be worth the wait rather than jumping in early as most Tv's aren't 1080p.

Re: HD Ready LCD TV recommendations
 

As long as it can do 1366 x 768, & so do 720p, plus has HDMI (or DVI with HDCP) then it's "HD Ready".


You can get "true HD" on a 19" PC monitor.






1080p isn't as rare as it used to be, but is still way too expensive (& tends to only be on the larger sets AFAIK).




1080p is still too pricey now. I guess it could be worth the wait, my problem is I'm impatient. I've already held off for a year, I suppose I could try & resist a bit longer.

Re: HD Ready LCD TV recommendations
 

The price of LCD's are dropping very fast so it might be worth seeing what happens in 3-6 months? :)

Re: HD Ready LCD TV recommendations
 

Stretch your budget, and get a plasma. ;)

Re: HD Ready LCD TV recommendations
 

True. I don't think I'd get anything until at least the new year, anyway. Just thought I'd start looking around now.






lol. I'd have to stretch my lounge too though!

Re: HD Ready LCD TV recommendations
 

I take it space is an issue then ?

What about a wall mounted plasma then ? :naughty:

Re: HD Ready LCD TV recommendations
 

Wall mounted plasma... :drool:


My girlfriend's brother has one of those. He also has a huge lounge though.



Space is an issue, plus it can't be wall-mounted 'cos we rent (too expensive to buy in Cambridge :disturbd: ).


My current WS TV is a 28" CRT. I think the screen size is just about right for the size of the lounge, although I'd be tempted by a 32" LCD as physically it'd still be smaller/lighter than my current beast of a TV.

Re: HD Ready LCD TV recommendations
 

There are plenty of reviews of LCD's here.

I've always found good advice over at avforums

As for Dixons, you can get better deals using pricerunner, Dixons aren't always cheap, and they tend to sell older sets.

Re: HD Ready LCD TV recommendations
 

Thanks to AV forums I heard about this make

However I decided to go for the 27" version as I thought it looked nicer. Have had it a few days now and its fantastic, watching BBC HD on it just cause it looks so fantastic.

Link to the 27" version

TV has all the connections and is fully HD ready. I have yet to find any faults with it. and for a 27" for under £400 you can't go wrong.

There is a thread over at AV Forums all about the TV manufacturer.

Re: HD Ready LCD TV recommendations
 

After several months of extensive research Angry Towers has just had a 42" plasma occupy the corner of the lounge. I can honestly say there is a lot to be said for plasma over LCD.

As suggested above - if you can - hold fire until the sales and what savings you make will pay dividends.

Re: HD Ready LCD TV recommendations
 

Cheers, guys :)

Re: HD Ready LCD TV recommendations
 

I've just bought the Sammy - LE32R74BDX (with built in freeview), got it from play for £639. I originally bought (and quickly returned!!) the Polaroid 32" LCD that PC World were selling for £500, and I'm so happy I paid the extra - the difference is picture quality is well worth the extra £s.

Overall it's a great tv for the price - the 360 over component looks amazing. (I'd go for component over VGA as the colours seem slightly faded through VGA - I've got a lend of a friends VGA cable and there is a noticable difference.) This isn't a problem with the tv though as I've read others have the same issue with other tvs.

Oh, and after I bought this tv, I found this link http://www.dixons.co.uk/martprd/edit..._id=ppc_tvcamp - £609, inc free delivery:mad: - it's dixons "exclusive" version of the tv I have, although I'm not sure of the differences other than the blue strip beside the power button

Re: HD Ready LCD TV recommendations
 

Ta :)


Handy link too! :)


I do like the look of the Samsungs. I have read that the LGs I mentioned earlier are very good, but the Samsungs do tend to come out on top from what I've seen.



Another thing - stands! the stand I use at the moment is the one my current TV came with. If I get a new HD Ready LCD, I'm gonna end up having to buy a stand/cabinet too....ones I've seen all seem to cost a couple of hundred :confused:

Re: HD Ready LCD TV recommendations
 

Snap, although the stand from the old tv isn't needed in its new location, so I'm gonna make do with this for the time being. Another friend of mines just bought a stand / cabinet from argos which has a universal mount at the back, so the tv sort of "floats" - i think it the tv would seem too far back for my liking but he seems to think it's pretty good.

When I was looking at tvs in stores, most places would give you the stand for half price when you bought the tv - might be worth considering comparing the online cost of the tv & stand with the combined price from the stores ?

Re: HD Ready LCD TV recommendations
 

My 32" Hyundai LCD sits on a £40 stand/cabinet from Argos... Holds the STB a DVD/HDD recoder & a surround sound system....

It actually doesn't look too bad either!!

Re: HD Ready LCD TV recommendations
 

Hmm, good point :tu:

---------- Post added at 23:43 ---------- Previous post was at 23:41 ----------



That sounds better than shelling out for some poncey £200/£300 glass thing!


All I'd need is a couple of shelves for the 360 & the Sky box, & something to sit a TV on.

Re: HD Ready LCD TV recommendations
 

Well, it has got a glass shelf!! But poncey?

Re: HD Ready LCD TV recommendations
 

LOL, it's just that the ones I saw at the Dixons site, & at others via PriceRunner, were these stupidly expensive all glass things costing two or more hundred.


But 40quid from Argos is much better, especially if I'm gonna end up paying five to six hundred on the TV.



Hmm. I'd have to think of something to do with my Centre speaker too. Currently sits on top of my TV (with bluetack on the feet). LCD TV...not deep enough to sit a speaker on. TV would probably be too heavy to sit on top of the speaker.



Definitely leaning more towards the Samsungs now.


Just been looking at Amazon - they've got the LE26R74BDX (26" with Freeview) for £499, & the LE32R74BDX (32" with Freeview) for £619. Much better than Dixons.

Re: HD Ready LCD TV recommendations
 

LE32R74BDX £595 here inc delivery...

Re: HD Ready LCD TV recommendations
 

I can highly recommended this TOSHIBA 32WLT68 from JL 5 year guarantee. Very Happy with it nice picture and great for you xbox.

Dont belive me? read here.

http://www.avforums.com/forums/showt...hlight=32WLT68

Re: HD Ready LCD TV recommendations
 

I couldn't agree more !

Mine has just been delivered, and is up and running. All I can say is. :drool: :drool: :drool:

Re: HD Ready LCD TV recommendations
 

Cheers! :)




Ta :) Bit out of my price range though!

Re: HD Ready LCD TV recommendations
 

More that under 32" and the picture does not 'need' HD, above that size you can start to see the lack of image resolution / lines in a non HD image.

Re: HD Ready LCD TV recommendations
 

Its worth pushing the boat out on this set its very good value for the quilitey you get.

£875

Re: HD Ready LCD TV recommendations
 

Richer Sounds usually have some good deals, but I would wait till after Xmas myself.
http://www.richersounds.co.uk/showpr...NY-KDL26U2000U
26 inches of pure Sony pleasure, with a built-in Freeview tuner, and HDMI https://www.cableforum.co.uk/images/...2006/12/11.jpg

Re: HD Ready LCD TV recommendations
 

if you look hard enough you can find a 10% off discount code to use at currys online - then pick the TV you want and get 10% off.

---------- Post added at 12:59 ---------- Previous post was at 12:59 ----------

nb. I suggest you wait for the January sales anyway.

Re: HD Ready LCD TV recommendations
 

I get sent affiliate discount codes for lots of places, regually get currys ones, I'd wait till after xmas, let me know which set your after and i'll see if I have a discount code for a shop that sells it :)

Re: HD Ready LCD TV recommendations
 

this is a good place to go hunting for discount codes:-

www.hotukdeals.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=4

Re: HD Ready LCD TV recommendations
 

Discount codes sound like a good idea.

Definitely going to wait 'till at least after Christmas, not gonna buy before the sales.

Re: HD Ready LCD TV recommendations
 

Hmm.

Been doing some measuring.

Samsung LE26R74 26" HD Ready LCD... same width as my current 28" CRT, & the screen has the same visible diagonal of 26" (as visible diagonal sizes for CRTs are smaller than quoted diagonal sizes for CRTs).


Samsung LE32R74 32" HD Ready LCD... over 12cm wider than my 28" CRT, plus the screen's visible diagonal would be 6" longer.



No space for a 32".....oh well, makes my choice easier lol.


Now to wait for the sales...

Re: HD Ready LCD TV recommendations
 

if u wait u will only see something better while ur waiting :)

a new range of hd tv's are out that have built in computers (for networking / playing of divx / pictures / mp3s ) still in its early stage but looks like a good all in one solution as currently getting all ur content to play on is a complicated business. I currently use an xbox1 to do it all (using xbmc)
i hope by the time i have to go over to digital someone has some sexy nice HD content and a nice way of getting it into my house and allowing me to use it to record the shows to a hard drive and play my networked content from any other source (external hard drive / NAS / pc / mp3 player etc)

Re: HD Ready LCD TV recommendations
 

I use my old XBox with XBMC too. I'd stream from the PC to the 360 if it played more than just WMV...might try converting stuff....


Settled on the Samsung LE26R74BD. Just gonna hold off a bit to see if it gets cheaper in the Boxing Day / Jan sales. Or just buy from Dixons/Currys (convenience), & use the "Jan sale price match" if it goes down in price.

Re: HD Ready LCD TV recommendations
 

Also looking at LCD TV's in the sales - whats the difference between P and I's? Think I know - just want some clarification! Cheers


Lee

Re: HD Ready LCD TV recommendations
 

P and Is?


P = Progressive scan

I = Interlaced


Standard HD resolutions...

720p - 720 lines, progressive scan

1080i - 1080 lines, interlaced

1080p - 1080 lines, progressive scan



Normal PAL TV is 576i

Normal NTSC (US) TV is 480i



To be "HD Ready" a TV must be capable of displaying a minimum of 720p, must have component video inputs, and must have an HDMI or DVI input which is HDCP-compliant (HDCP is some annoying copy protection "feature" not yet implemented).


All HD ready TVs can do 720p & 1080i. There is a growing number of 1080p capable sets, but they're v expensive, & also only in larger sizes.


Have a look at:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HD_ready

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-definition_television

Re: HD Ready LCD TV recommendations
 

interlaced
progresive

if i remember correctly, progressive is best, i may be wrong

ik

p.s. beaten to it....

Re: HD Ready LCD TV recommendations
 

My 26" Sammy came today.


It's bloody gorgeous :D


The 360 looks great using component, set to 720p.


Sky & Freeview both actually look really good too (I've seen some HD Ready TVs which look crap when using standard definition sources).



It pales in comparison to Alison's brother's HD Ready TV though....he got himself an LG HD Ready 50" plasma....:shocked: Looks amazing, COD3 on his 360 was ridiculously awesome...

Re: HD Ready LCD TV recommendations
 

why does some scrolling text (say from gillet soccer saturday) seem jittery on some LCD and Plasma tv's?

is this just the refresh rate?

ik

Re: HD Ready LCD TV recommendations
 

Also, to add to that:

26" (equivalent to 28" CRT) & 32" HD Ready LCDs tend to have a native resolution of 1366x768, & give optimal results at 720p. They can still do 1080i, but IIRC have to deinterlace & downscale, as it's greater than their native resolution.




Dunno. I guess the refresh rate, as you say?

Re: HD Ready LCD TV recommendations
 

Refresh rate and other "enhancements" can cause this.

Taken from the Pioneer FAQ over at avforums

Re: HD Ready LCD TV recommendations
 

so at the bottom of your quote, it really just contradicts itself, by saying they cannot be set?

ik

Re: HD Ready LCD TV recommendations
 

They can be set, it depends on the input.

For example, my SD sky box, the input is via RGB scart, and is 576i. I can choose the standard setting, but not the advanced setting. Personally, I leave it off anyway.