Still considering a new TV

whoey2 · 24-08-2010, 15:56

Been looking around for a while now and nearly bit the bullet on the comet offer recently for the PANASONIC TX-P42S21B with free blue ray offer but pennies are tight and it will be pushing my limits a bit. Plus i'm not sure about forking out for Freeview HD now some of the itv channels are to become subscription services (I aint payin

). Theres not that much HD to watch on freeview is there? Seems to me everything is sky sky sky.
So half wondering now whether to get a 42" telly with freeview tuner which is about £450, then maybe later get an HD box if more channels become available and boxes might even be a bit cheaper by then.

RobAnt · 24-08-2010, 16:11

The cheapest Freeview HD set top box I have seen is the Technika one at Tesco for £70.

Its true that Sky have the most HD channels available, with Virgin Media catching up. But having lots of HD channels means paying quite a large subscription fee.

Freeview HD has about 4 or 5 HD channels. Freesat and Free to Air satellite has only 2 or 3.

Sky make you buy your box, while Virgin include rent it to you. New customers get the basic HD box free and the most basic, M+ service, has 4 or 5 free to air satellite channels.

Existing customers have to pay an installation and HD activation fee, and the box is rented so if it goes wrong they simply replace it.

whoey2 · 24-08-2010, 16:18

My feeling is that Freeview HD just aint worth paying out extra penies for at the moment, and may never be. Wondered how others saw it. Cheapest Ive seen the panny as a stand alone tv is £650 whereas other pannys with just a freeview tuner are about £450ish.

c4rv · 24-08-2010, 23:00

Get the TV with just freeview and get a seperate HD STB when you are ready with either sky/virgin or freeview/freesat.

zandar · 25-08-2010, 08:08

If you get a television with Freeview HD tuner in-built, you can just switch on the television and use it with the one remote control. I think it is daft to have to get a standard definition tuner model and then fork out for a Freeview HD tuner box - with the extra remote control.

You may like to consider getting a Freeview or Freesat twin tuner recorder with HD tuners. (If you get Freesat, you will of course need a dish with 2 cables - one for each tuner).

Freeview from this autumn (in three quarters of the UK) will have BBC1 plus another BBC channel, ITV1 and Channel 4 (S4C off Welsh transmitters instead - all in Hi-Definition. If you go down the BSkyB route, sure, you will have more HD channels but they will make you pay or these and the fees are sure to keep rising over the years.

What we don't know is what the situation will be in 2 or 3 years time. The Freeview platform is likely to be limited to 5 HD channels max. Freesat currently does not have even Channel 4 in hi-def though ultimately, it could end up with more hi-def channels than Freeview once new narrow beam satellites launch.

webbie · 25-08-2010, 13:11

If you've got a 5.1 amp, you may want to read the following:
http://whathifi.com/News/Problems-wi...-HD-the-facts/

El Guapo · 25-08-2010, 13:23

My old TV was on the way out so we got a new HD TV and got a free Sky HD box with free setup. Have to say that the HD channels are excellent and I would not have an HD TV without it as the SD pictures are just no comparison really.

24-08-2010, 15:56	#1
whoey2 Forum Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 29	Still considering a new TV Been looking around for a while now and nearly bit the bullet on the comet offer recently for the PANASONIC TX-P42S21B with free blue ray offer but pennies are tight and it will be pushing my limits a bit. Plus i'm not sure about forking out for Freeview HD now some of the itv channels are to become subscription services (I aint payin ). Theres not that much HD to watch on freeview is there? Seems to me everything is sky sky sky. So half wondering now whether to get a 42" telly with freeview tuner which is about £450, then maybe later get an HD box if more channels become available and boxes might even be a bit cheaper by then.

24-08-2010, 16:11	#2
RobAnt Forum Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: South West Posts: 10,218	The cheapest Freeview HD set top box I have seen is the Technika one at Tesco for £70. Its true that Sky have the most HD channels available, with Virgin Media catching up. But having lots of HD channels means paying quite a large subscription fee. Freeview HD has about 4 or 5 HD channels. Freesat and Free to Air satellite has only 2 or 3. Sky make you buy your box, while Virgin include rent it to you. New customers get the basic HD box free and the most basic, M+ service, has 4 or 5 free to air satellite channels. Existing customers have to pay an installation and HD activation fee, and the box is rented so if it goes wrong they simply replace it.

24-08-2010, 16:18	#3
whoey2 Forum Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 29	My feeling is that Freeview HD just aint worth paying out extra penies for at the moment, and may never be. Wondered how others saw it. Cheapest Ive seen the panny as a stand alone tv is £650 whereas other pannys with just a freeview tuner are about £450ish.

24-08-2010, 23:00	#4
c4rv Forum Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Essex Posts: 16,218	Get the TV with just freeview and get a seperate HD STB when you are ready with either sky/virgin or freeview/freesat.

25-08-2010, 08:08	#5
zandar Forum Member Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 760	If you get a television with Freeview HD tuner in-built, you can just switch on the television and use it with the one remote control. I think it is daft to have to get a standard definition tuner model and then fork out for a Freeview HD tuner box - with the extra remote control. You may like to consider getting a Freeview or Freesat twin tuner recorder with HD tuners. (If you get Freesat, you will of course need a dish with 2 cables - one for each tuner). Freeview from this autumn (in three quarters of the UK) will have BBC1 plus another BBC channel, ITV1 and Channel 4 (S4C off Welsh transmitters instead - all in Hi-Definition. If you go down the BSkyB route, sure, you will have more HD channels but they will make you pay or these and the fees are sure to keep rising over the years. What we don't know is what the situation will be in 2 or 3 years time. The Freeview platform is likely to be limited to 5 HD channels max. Freesat currently does not have even Channel 4 in hi-def though ultimately, it could end up with more hi-def channels than Freeview once new narrow beam satellites launch.

25-08-2010, 13:11	#6
webbie Forum Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: North Devon Posts: 1,568	If you've got a 5.1 amp, you may want to read the following: http://whathifi.com/News/Problems-wi...-HD-the-facts/

25-08-2010, 13:23	#7
El Guapo Forum Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: South East Posts: 4,638	My old TV was on the way out so we got a new HD TV and got a free Sky HD box with free setup. Have to say that the HD channels are excellent and I would not have an HD TV without it as the SD pictures are just no comparison really.

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