Polaroid TV and DVD.

I havent got a lot of money to spare, so I can't buy a big TV.

I might just be able to stretch to the Polaroid TV and DVD in Asda.

http://direct.asda.com/Polaroid-22ins-Full-HD-LED-TV-with-Integrated-DVD-Player/000532371,default,pd.html

I hope I've got the web address thingy right. :o

What does anyone think?

Comments

  • 1andrew11andrew1 Posts: 4,088
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    Don't buy it!

    Polaroid is just a brand name that Asda has the rights to, so it's their own brand TV.

    But you can buy a good brand TV for the same price at Richer Sounds assuming you don't need the built-in DVD.

    You can get a Samsung 22" for £140 or a Sony or LG 22" for £150.

    Or a 19" LG or Samsung for £100.

    http://www.richersounds.com/products/home-cinema/lcd-and-plasma/all-tvs#1
  • David WaineDavid Waine Posts: 3,396
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    Agreed. There is only a handful manufacturers of LCD panels on the planet, regardless of the brand name on the resulting TV. The 'supermarket specials' (of which the Polaroid TV is one) are usually the older panels that are no longer used by the the mainstream manufacturers. TV technology is advancing all the time and the latest panels outperform those available only a few years ago quite significantly. Quality control is also likely to be better on a mainstream model. That is not to say that you cannot buy yourself a perfectly good TV from a supermarket, but it is less likely than if you go with one of the major manufacturers.

    As indicated by Andrew, for the same money you can buy yourself a 22" Samsung or LG from Richer Sounds, either of which will almost certainly prove a better buy. You won't get a built-in DVD player with it, but that is a good thing in my opinion. The problem with these all-in-ones is that if one component fails, the whole lot becomes redundant. If money really is tight, you could get yourself the TV today and add a DVD (or, better still, Bluray) player a little later. Whether the difference between the two would show up on a 22" screen is a moot point, but at least you wouldn't have to replace it if you wanted to switch to a larger screen at a later date.

    Remember also that at this price you are likely to find that the built-in tuner is bog-standard Freeview, rather than Freeview HD. This means that it won't receive the Freeview HD channels, of which there are currently four, but more are coming at some point. To add these, you would need a Freeview HD digibox, which can be acquired for as little as £30 if you shop around. If your ISP is TalkTalk or BT, you can get a free YouView box in exchange for a couple of years contract on one of their faster broadband deals. This is a twin-tuner hard disc recorder, which handles Freeview HD, has all the back-up services (BBC iPlayer, ITV Player etc.) built in, and is also able to download all manner of stuff from the Internet.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 40
    Forum Member
    Thanks for that David.

    Most informative.
  • Lidtop2013Lidtop2013 Posts: 4,326
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    I've had a Polaroid 32" tv for about 6/8 years(I forget as its been that long) but its been a great tv, never had a single problem with it, still using it now as its been spot on. If it ever breaks I'd get a branded one now as there a hell of a lot cheaper than they were 6-8 years ago.

    For picture and sound quality though its as good as any other branded tv I've seen in the shops even today. I've got it connected to a sky HD box, HD channels look superb.

    I'd buy another if it wasn't for the fact that the big brands are so cheap nowadays.
  • iangradiangrad Posts: 813
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    Lidtop2013 wrote: »
    I've had a Polaroid 32" tv for about 6/8 years(I forget as its been that long) but its been a great tv, never had a single problem with it, still using it now as its been spot on. If it ever breaks I'd get a branded one now as there a hell of a lot cheaper than they were 6-8 years ago.

    For picture and sound quality though its as good as any other branded tv I've seen in the shops even today. I've got it connected to a sky HD box, HD channels look superb.

    I'd buy another if it wasn't for the fact that the big brands are so cheap nowadays.

    And therein lies the rub : big brand kit is so cheap now its almost pointless buying "no brand" kit which just to compete with the big brands has to cut corners or use older designed LCD panels and circuitry .

    If you are short of cash buy quality because it wont be cheap to have to replace it after a short while when you realise the cheap kit was just junk !
  • Nigel GoodwinNigel Goodwin Posts: 58,328
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    Lidtop2013 wrote: »
    I'd buy another if it wasn't for the fact that the big brands are so cheap nowadays.

    A sample size of one is FAR too small to be significant, but statistically such cheap badged sets have poor reliability.

    But I'm pleased your specific set has been reliable for you.
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