What makes a good TV

Originally Posted by speedplay

Wait a few months as the backlit led technology is coming on and seems to be the way to go.

The problem is that if you wait a few months for the 'next big thing', then the 'next-big-thing-after-that' is just around the corner - and you might aswell wait for that!


Stuff that - buy one now and enjoy it.

Don't trust the side by side picture comparisons in the stores either. You have no idea what the settings so the comparisons aren't really fair.

We tried both our flat screens in the store with DVD's we were familiar with.

I also suspect that the 'out of the box' settings are way to vibrant so they stand out in the shops.

Another really important issue for me is the remote control. Companies seem to forget that this is the part of the TV you handle the most, and they give the design job to a complete numptie who hasn't got the first clue about what makes a remote control nice to use.

Originally Posted by amnesia

The problem is that if you wait a few months for the 'next big thing', then the 'next-big-thing-after-that' is just around the corner - and you might aswell wait for that!


Stuff that - buy one now and enjoy it.

The first 2 months of any product like a TV hitting the shelves, the prices are always loaded to get the most from people wanting the newest thing out there.



I must admit, I wouldn't mind the TV I saw at work last week though..

Hmmm, good point regarding the remote control...
Good tip to bring my on DVD, thanks!

Is there anything I should definately look for?

e.g. 1080p thing seems to worth while having from what I've read, good connectivity - HDMI / SCART etc. Fast signal processing 200Hz or higher?

Any "features" or specs to avoid?

havnt sony just developed something more advanced than led technology so thats outdated already just look for 1080p more hdmi ports the better and 100hz and above.

Go for something with as high a contrast ratio as possible. Some cheap LCDs are quite motion blurry, blacks aren't very dark and often move (or perhaps more correctly I should say, respond) at different speeds to the lighter tones.

[Bibio]

go and look at the picture in the shops, choose one you like the look of. one good test for LCD tv's is watching football, if the panel drivers are crap then the ball will get all fuzzy and leave motion trails, the footballers will also get very pixelated. usually going with a good brand ensures quality. sony, samsung, panasonic.

If you can stretch to it, have a look at plasma as well- they're not that much more expensive for the size but have a much better picture generally.

I'm looking at getting a Panasonic TX-P42G10 (about £700 at Richer Sounds) on the weekend (as well as an X-Box 360). Looks like a well snazzy telly and I won't be expecting to buy another for 5 years at the very least.

For LCD, you want to be looking at contrast ratio and refresh rate firstly. Full 1080p is a must now.

Decent plasma screens currently have better colour, contrast and refresh rates than LCDs. Also, the current plasmas have longer lives than many old CRTs in terms of viewing hours, can handle games and have technology to prevent image burn in.

Aside from that, you need to look at what you can plug into the thing.

All brands have their own picture enhancement stuff- I'm sure this is much of a muchness in the long run.

only problem with plasma is screen burn when you have a static picture sky+ pausing or pausing your xbox too long i don't know how bad modern plasmas are for it.

[maviczap]

Upgraded earlier in the year to a full 1080p Toshiba. Price was the main driver for me, as we got it in a Tesco deal. Picture quality is very good in DVD and good in Sky HD.

Would have gone for LG or a Samsung if the price had been similar. But I'd go with making sure it's full 1080p at the very least. I'd also make sure it has got as many HDMi sockets too. Mine has 3

Originally Posted by zsv650

havnt sony just developed something more advanced than led technology so thats outdated already just look for 1080p more hdmi ports the better and 100hz and above.

They probably are- most tech companies are a few generations ahead. It's just that for the time being, the new technology will be unaffordable even for mass production and they want to continue making money off the current tech and therefore protect their investments.

Curiously, despite the X-Box 360 being about for several years already with a few revisions along the line, no-one seems to really be talking about the next generation of consoles yet. Interesting, isn't it?