[BNM] [OT] Big TV recommendations, and is 1080 worth it?

[Jonathan Hirsch]

Hi Iestyn,

I bought a Samsung 32" LCD a couple of months ago and have been very  
pleased with it. I've been running my PS3 and XBox 360 through it and  
the quality is superb, so I'd say it's well worth going for 1080 if  
you're using those consoles. I have Sky HD also and although the  
picture quality is good (best with CGI material though - live footage  
is debatable - arguably sharper and more detailed than 'normal' TV,  
as you'd expect, but I'm not convinced that normal TV through a  
decent CRT isn't better than HD on an LCD...).

On which subject, while HD does look good, normal TV is definitely  
not as good as through a CRT, IMHO. Noticeable artifacts, especially  
on fast-moving footage (which is odd, since it copes fine with the  
games consoles). I suspect that's just a trait of LCDs though - I  
spent quite a bit of time checking out different LCDs and decided the  
Samsung was the best for my purposes. The equivalent Sony came a  
close second. It does depend how far away you are from the screen  
though - on a 32" the problem isn't really noticeable if you're sat  
more than about 2 meters away.

Incidentally, if you're thinking of getting Sky HD - I'm not sure I'd  
bother, in hindsight. Unless you also subscribe to the sports and  
movies, there's not all that much on worth watching...

Anyway, the Samsung was £499, which I thought was pretty good value  
for a 32" (though it's probably cheaper now and/or there may be  
better deals around).

I got a 19" Samsung for the bedroom as well (£299) - also very  
pleased. Seems to be a good make.

A friend of mine swears by LG - says they're excellent for the price.

I've heard rumours that Plasma screens don't last very long (c.5  
years). Anyone know either way?

Oh, one big gripe with LCDs - they never seem to come with a decent  
floor stand, and the good ones are seriously expensive to buy  
separately. Wall mounting's probably the answer, but I didn't trust  
my walls to take the weight...

HTH,

Jon



On 4 Apr 2008, at 16:55, iestyn lloyd wrote:
> Ello,
>
> I'm selling my enormous 32" Sony CRT TV because i'm moving and it's  
> huge.
> I'm looking for a >=32" LCD or Plasma TV - anyone here bought one  
> recently
> that's good value for money?
> And is it worth going for 1080, seeing as I won't have Sky HD /  
> Virgin /
> anything other than a 360 or PC hooked up to it?
>
> Also, if anyone wants to buy an enormous 32" Sony CRT, let me know :)
>
> Cheers
>
> iestyn