Help! We need a new TV!

alsmamaalsmama Posts: 4,564
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Ours died this morning so we better get another one. We are not really big TV people - we have one TV in the corner of the lounge between the four of us, it has a 20" screen and is very basic. Now we need to replace it we would like to come into the 21st century without going mad, and we certainly don't want one of those big things that take up half the room.

I'd be grateful for any hints - it's a long time since we bought a tv!

Also, I'm just exploring Smart TVs - the ones I have looked at need a dongle - does that mean you have to subscribe separately for internet for them or does the dongle somehow ride off your home wifi?

Thanks.

Comments

  • chrisjrchrisjr Posts: 33,282
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    The dongle is a Wifi device that is used as an alternative to a cable connection to your router. If the TV and router are in reasonably close proximity then a cable is the easiest method to connect the two.

    And I would very much doubt a Smart TV absolutely requires a dongle and cannot be connected via an ethernet cable, can't say I've seen any that are like that.

    On the subject of makes of TV. Sony and Panasonic would probably rank at the top of most peoples lists. LG and Samsung somewhere in the middle and the "supermarket own brands" down at the bottom.
  • call100call100 Posts: 7,264
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    First hint is...Whatever size you buy after a week you always wish you had bought a larger one. Coming from your TV to a 32" will seem huge at first but will soon pale. You will appreciate HD more on a larger screen.
    The 'dongle' is to enable the TV to connect to your WiFi.
    Go and look at as many as you can..........
    You don't say what your budget is......If you give that then people will recommend certain sets for you.
  • alsmamaalsmama Posts: 4,564
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    Thanks very much. So if we did have a dongle it would just wirelessly run off our wifi? Sorry to seem a bit thick! I'd rather not use a cable if possible. Right now the (poor dead) TV is about 6ft away from the router.

    Call100, you may be right about the size but I think I will take the risk!

    Good idea to go look. I guess we would like to pay under £400 ...

    Thanks again.
  • chrisjrchrisjr Posts: 33,282
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    alsmama wrote: »
    Thanks very much. So if we did have a dongle it would just wirelessly run off our wifi? Sorry to seem a bit thick! I'd rather not use a cable if possible. Right now the (poor dead) TV is about 6ft away from the router.

    Call100, you may be right about the size but I think I will take the risk!

    Good idea to go look. I guess we would like to pay under £400 ...

    Thanks again.
    Do you intend to wander round the room carrying the telly about? Or are you in the habit of moving the router around a lot? OK not exactly serious questions but why use WiFi on two static devices that are only six feet apart?

    A cable is way easier to use. Far far cheaper to buy and more secure and quite probably a more reliable connection.
  • evil cevil c Posts: 7,833
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    If you're going for a 32 inch TV and you want to pay under £400, then there's a Which? Best Buy just right for you, the LG 32LS570T. It has a Full HD picture, edge lit LED and a Freeview HD tuner built in, no 3D though. Which give it a score of 67% and that's very good. The cheapest place to buy it at the moment is Richer Sound at £380 with a free 5 year guarantee. There's no other 32 inch TV that comes close at this price (in Which?). It outperforms 2 of its closest rivals, the Samsung UE32ES5500 and the Sony Bravia KDL-32EX723

    Which? say this: If you're on the market for a 32-inch set then this one should be on your shortlist. It might have some shortcomings - particularly sound - but it's otherwise an excellent TV.

    Pros: Good picture quality, great line-up of Smart TV services, useful PVR features.
    Cons: Unimpressive sound, Smart TV features can be hard to use.

    Richer Sound link: http://www.richersounds.com/product/tv---all/lg/32ls570t/lg-32ls570t
  • alsmamaalsmama Posts: 4,564
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    Chrisjr I was thinking wireless because I don't really want cables trailing across the room and they are on opposite sides of our bay window with a built in window seat so you can't discreetly hide them behind furniture.

    Evil c, thanks for the link.
  • RowieboyRowieboy Posts: 1,446
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    I have a pretty small living room and the first "new telly" i bought was 26". Within a week i found it far too small. So it's now in the bedroom and i got a 32" Panasonic instead. I'm happy with that but sometimes wonder if i should have gone 37"!
  • call100call100 Posts: 7,264
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    alsmama wrote: »
    Call100, you may be right about the size but I think I will take the risk!

    Thanks again.

    Mmmmm.....I am...:D......Min 37" as already suggested...;)
  • DarthFaderDarthFader Posts: 3,880
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    We had a 32 inch HD for ages. At the time it was top spec which at the time I thought would make up for the size. It did look very good for both HD and SD (some very big tellys can look bad with SD) but now I have a 42 inch I can really see HD for how it is meant to be, stunning. If you have a small room though you might get that with a smaller TV.

    I have LG 42lm760t which came with free 3D bluray and surround sound and can highly recommend it. It has wifi so has LoveFilm, BBC iPlayer, games and many other apps too. It also has a free iPhone/iPad and Android app do you can control the TV and take screenshots.

    PJ
  • chrisjrchrisjr Posts: 33,282
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    alsmama wrote: »
    Chrisjr I was thinking wireless because I don't really want cables trailing across the room and they are on opposite sides of our bay window with a built in window seat so you can't discreetly hide them behind furniture.
    Maybe it's just me but I would run the cable round the skirting and use cable clips to hold it in place. If you have carpet and are careful you could hide the cable under the very edge of the carpet up against the wall and along the front of the window seat.

    I wouldn't run cables under carpets where people are likely to walk over them as that can cause damage to the cable. But round the edge should be OK. Only one cable would be needed even if you have an internet TV, Blu-Ray player Sky box, Freesat box, Freeview box or whatever else sat under the telly as a simple network switch could provide feeds to all of those.

    An alternative to cable or WiFi is HomePlugs which use the mains cabling to connect one plug to the other. ie one plug at the router and another behind the telly. Only cables needed are short ones from plug to router/TV.
  • mac2708mac2708 Posts: 3,349
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    Yes. run a cable as it's only a very short run and can be easily hidden as chrisjr suggests.
    I use a 15M length from the router to the TV like this http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/LONG-5m-FLAT-Network-Ethernet-Cat-5e-Cat5e-Cable-Lead-Easy-Hide-Thin-Wire-5-MTR-/110896214890?pt=UK_Computing_NetworkingCables_RL&hash=item19d1edf36a

    You may well find that HomePlugs as an alternative are actually cheaper than some manufacturer specific dongles.
    Or you could look for a TV with built-in WiFi
  • alsmamaalsmama Posts: 4,564
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    Thank you for the tips, everyone.
  • call100call100 Posts: 7,264
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    Winston_1 wrote: »
    Don't even consider using homeplugs. They are regarded as electronic filth as they cause serious interference to your neighbours.

    http://www.frequencycast.co.uk/powerline.html

    What a rubbish statement......It should read 'regarded as electronic filth by the amateur radio community'. Others who use them thinks they are a good idea and work very well in most situations.....
    I doubt the OP will be the first in their area to utilise them.. Anyway it only affects something up to 100ft away as the article states....I think anyone would know if there was a radio ham next door...

    Maybe the radio hams could chat over Skype to get around the issue....:eek:
  • StilianStilian Posts: 150
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    You can get this 32-inch LG http://sveyo.com/2012/11/lg-32ls5600-32-inch-led-lcd-tv-specs-review/ for under £400, it is not a smart TV but it's a good one and it is slim and won't take up half your room. Make sure you need a smart TV before you pay some £50 more for such.
  • pavierpavier Posts: 838
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    Something to bear in mind about screen size. Modern flat panel tvs don't have great viewing angles compared to old crt tubes (if that's what you have), although plasma screens are better than lcd in that regard.

    There are pros and cons to plasma versus lcd but the point about size is that with four people watching only the person sitting dead center will see a decent picture on a cheap small tv.
    A small screen may be ok for one person sitting close but more people requires a bigger screen further away if everyone is to get a good experience.
  • OrbitalzoneOrbitalzone Posts: 12,627
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    If you have a half decent old CRT then you may well be disapointed at the tinny sound quality on most flat screens...... just something to consider.
  • alsmamaalsmama Posts: 4,564
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    Well thanks again everyone. We went for a 32" LG Smart TV with built in wireless in the end. The size looks good in the corner of the room and with the built in wireless we didn't need to worry about the cabling in the end. We are really pleased with it so thanks for the tips.
  • StilianStilian Posts: 150
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    alsmama wrote: »
    Well thanks again everyone. We went for a 32" LG Smart TV with built in wireless in the end. The size looks good in the corner of the room and with the built in wireless we didn't need to worry about the cabling in the end. We are really pleased with it so thanks for the tips.

    Good choice, enjoy it :)
  • alsmamaalsmama Posts: 4,564
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    Stilian wrote: »
    Good choice, enjoy it :)

    Thanks, I am enjoying it ... Right now! Had no idea how fab a smart tv would be.
  • joshua_welbyjoshua_welby Posts: 9,017
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    alsmama wrote: »
    Ours died this morning so we better get another one. We are not really big TV people - we have one TV in the corner of the lounge between the four of us, it has a 20" screen and is very basic. Now we need to replace it we would like to come into the 21st century without going mad, and we certainly don't want one of those big things that take up half the room.

    I'd be grateful for any hints - it's a long time since we bought a tv!

    Also, I'm just exploring Smart TVs - the ones I have looked at need a dongle - does that mean you have to subscribe separately for internet for them or does the dongle somehow ride off your home wifi?

    Thanks.

    Make sure you buy a TV with a DVB-T2 Tuner inside it as it will future proof you and pick up the Freeview HD channels

    See here for details http://www.dtg.org.uk/consumer/dvbt2.html
    and here http://www.freeview.co.uk/HD/Products and Click on TVs
  • mac2708mac2708 Posts: 3,349
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    Make sure you buy a TV with a DVB-T2 Tuner inside it as it will future proof you and pick up the Freeview HD channels

    See here for details http://www.dtg.org.uk/consumer/dvbt2.html
    and here http://www.freeview.co.uk/HD/Products and Click on TVs

    Bit late with the advice I'm afraid:( - see post 19

    From a quick look most, if not all, LG 32" Smart-TVs have Freeview HD
  • alsmamaalsmama Posts: 4,564
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    It does have free view HD thanks. Coincidence more than anything else cos I wouldn't have thought to look for that!
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