37" or 40" 1080P for around £650

Sirrel Squirrel

Sirrel Squirrel

Sirrel Squirrel

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My parents are after a new TV, they have a budget of £800 but I'm going to suggest they get a TV for under £650 and use the change to buy a Blu-ray player.

What's the best I can get for the money?
 
I have the 32" version and am very pleased with it. If anyone I know asked me to spec them a reasonably priced 40" LCD I wouldn't hesitate to recommend that one.
 
I have the next model up the LE37B650 (well mines the 651 with the hint of red on the bottom which looks really good) and love it. Spent a while looking around and considering other options but settled on this and glad I did :)
 
Sirrel Squirrel said:
Just been reading up on the Samsung LE40B550, sounds good from the reviews and the fact you can get it to play back DIVX and MKV files is pretty fantastic! http://www.avforums.com/forums/lcd-...g-b550-how-enable-mkv-divx-xvid-playback.html
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Would you buy a car becuase it had musical cupholders ?

Sirrel Squirrel said:
Is that a good choice then?
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No

Panasonic TX-P42X10 or if they can maybe strtetch there budget a little more then TX-P42G10.

I suppose your parents will be watching mainly tv with some dvds or possibly blu rays thrown in? Avoid a samsung like this with silly featues like mentioned in your first quote above, and recommend your parents buy a set like the panasonic. Better picture, should last longer, and less useless features.
 
The reviews I read were all positive and that feature was an added bonus meaning they can just leave a memory stick with films on plugged into the side of the TV. For £550 it leaves a nice bit of change for a Blu-ray player.

They mainly watch films on the TV be it either Sky Movies, DVD or Blu-ray.

I'll check out those Panny's though.

edit/ The X10 isn't a 1080P set and the G10 is about £800 so that doesn't leave any money for the Blu-ray player.

What's actually wrong with the Sammy? (The MKV playback isn't actually an advertised feature and you have to turn it on in the service menu)
 
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You still seem to be going on about playing mkv files a lot which seems to indicate it is a big factor in the tv choice. Is plugging in a usb stick really that important it will say you from a better quality, less problematic, and just better set ? Plus you also point out they are mainly watching tv, dvd or blu ray ;)

Forget about 1080p from normal viewing distance (5ft+) it really doesn't matter, please ignore the hype and how others harp on about 1080p being this and that. They don't know what they are on about.

For films and general tv the panasonic is superior, mainly because it is a plasma. Better blacks, better SD reproduction (further aided by not being 1080p), perfect viewing angles whereas LCDs are still crap as soon as you move off centre.
 
Sirrel Squirrel said:
That's what I said lol but it won't actually fit in the allocated space :p
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Well use some explosives to quarry it out then :p

Sirrel Squirrel said:
I'm now looking at the Panasonic 37S10 and the Sony 37V5500, any thoughts?
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Meh, why go for a more expensive panasonic LCD when the 37inch plasma is cheaper and produces a better picture. I wouldn't want the sony either for films, and especially normal tv.
 
37x10? I'm really put off by it not being 1080p, I deal with the material in work all the time and I can tell the difference.

edit/ I understand SD will obviously look much better on a lower res panel

edit2/ such a pain in the arse, keep finding mixed reviews for all 3 TVs
 
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Another vote for the X10. Your parents aren't going to be watching much 1080p content, so what is the point worrying about 1080p.
 
I know they like their films so I can see them really getting into Blu-ray, so obviously the best picture for that will be on a 1080p set. Best thing to do now is just take them to a shop and ask, which one they like out of the 37X10 and 37S10.
 
Blu-rays are still going to look better on the X though, what they gain in resolution they lose in other aspects of picture quality.

You can use cameras as a metaphor, just because camera A has a high megapixel rating doesn't mean it will produce a better picture.

Similarly in this case just because the LCD has a higher pixel count it doesn't make up for the fact it has a worse contrast ratio (which means poorer blacks and worse colour) and doesn't handle movement quite as well.

No contest in my opinion unless your parents are going to be doing a lot of gaming on the screen?
 
Sirrel Squirrel said:
37x10? I'm really put off by it not being 1080p, I deal with the material in work all the time and I can tell the difference.

edit/ I understand SD will obviously look much better on a lower res panel

edit2/ such a pain in the arse, keep finding mixed reviews for all 3 TVs
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If you could find 2 sets where the only difference was the resolution, I can guarantee you will find it nigh on impossible to tell the difference without cheating and moving close to inspect the pixel structure. I have done such a test and boy was it an eye opener, especially when watching films. With detail being lost in an image as soon as there is movement on screen, it becomes impossible to tell.

Now consider the amount of movement on general tv and you should get my point ;)
 
Another vote for the X10, Brought one for my mother birthday and have to say the lack of 1080p is a non issue as the picture quality is really good on all material i have fed through it.
 
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