• TV
  • MOVIES
  • MUSIC
  • SHOWBIZ
  • SOAPS
  • GAMING
  • TECH
  • FORUMS
  • Follow
    • Follow
    • facebook
    • twitter
    • google+
    • instagram
    • youtube
Hearst Corporation
  • TV
  • MOVIES
  • MUSIC
  • SHOWBIZ
  • SOAPS
  • GAMING
  • TECH
  • FORUMS
Forums
  • Register
  • Login
  • Forums
  • Gadgets
  • TV and Home Entertainment Technology
TV buying advice
<<
<
2 of 3
>>
>
ianpwilliams
12-03-2012
I've got a surround sound system for sound, so that really isn't a problem. I wouldn't normally use it for everyday TV, but if the on-board sound was that bad then I could use it for that two, maybe on just 2-channel mode or something.

I'm torn on the LCD/Plasma thing though. I was all ready to get an LCD/LED until you mentioned plasma for picture quality paulmapp8306, but then JLP did recommend avoiding plasma for a TV where gaming will be going on (and it will), so I really thing I need to go LCD.

As it happens, I saw a couple of great-looking TV's at good prices in JLP today, which weren't listed on the website for some reason. Maybe they just generally don't bother showing the cheaper ones online, but it's a shame, as I wasn't originally planning on going at all based on what was on the website.

So they have these 40" LED Sony and 42" plasma Panasonic TV's, both for £550:

Sony KDL-40EX723B - LED - 40" - £550 - active 3D

Panasonic TX-P42ST30B - Plasma - 42" - £550 - active 3D

There was also a 47" Toshiba, reduced from £700 to £550 (last one in the store), but I really don't think my room is big enough!

So I would lose 2 inches if I went for the Sony, but it's got to be worth it for my favourite brand. They did have another virtually identical Sony (same features, screen size), but it was £150 extra, and apparently that was purely just down to picture quality. So I'm about to check a review of the Sony one now.

I would be so much more eager to buy a Sony instead of an LG, for an extra £100. And I would much prefer to buy from John Lewis too, also my preferred retailer.

Both TV's also have 3D, although apparently virtually all but LG do "active 3D", which means very expensive glasses (£80 in one case!), so there's a good chance I wouldn't even do 3D on it, unless they came down in price big time.

Does anyone have any experience with the Sony KDL-40EX723B?
ianpwilliams
13-03-2012
I'm 95% sure I'm going for the Sony KDL-40EX723B now. For £100 extra and 2" less of screen, it's well worth the brand name, full HD, 3D, web apps etc. It also has this USB recording thing:

"USB Recording
Does it have USB recording? As standard, USB sockets playback files. Some will also record, for example, TV programs from a TV to hard drive."

What does that mean? Could I literally connect an external USB hard drive, and then tell the TV to record a TV programme to it?
Rich_L
13-03-2012
I think I am going for its brother, the HX723
Tassium
13-03-2012
Originally Posted by ianpwilliams:
“I'm 95% sure I'm going for the Sony KDL-40EX723B now. For £100 extra and 2" less of screen, it's well worth the brand name, full HD, 3D, web apps etc. It also has this USB recording thing:

"USB Recording
Does it have USB recording? As standard, USB sockets playback files. Some will also record, for example, TV programs from a TV to hard drive."

What does that mean? Could I literally connect an external USB hard drive, and then tell the TV to record a TV programme to it?”

I would imagine the TV would have to be on to record to USB.
ianpwilliams
13-03-2012
Originally Posted by Rich_L:
“I think I am going for its brother, the HX723”

Yeah the only difference between the two seems to be that mine is 100Hz, and yours is 200Hz

http://www.johnlewis.com/Shopping/Co...4JrO+ULiivhHo=

But I can't afford the extra £150.

And I was guessing that the TV would have to on for USB recording. Still useful though.
ianpwilliams
13-03-2012
What's really strange is the EX523, which is £50 more, but it's not 3D, and it's only 50Hz:

http://www.johnlewis.com/Shopping/Co...4JrO+ULiivhHo=

Anyway, now I just hope JLP might match the Richer Sounds £499 price for the EX723. Although I'm sure they won't, because of the 1-year/5-year guarantee comparison.
Nigel Goodwin
13-03-2012
Originally Posted by ianpwilliams:
“What does that mean? Could I literally connect an external USB hard drive, and then tell the TV to record a TV programme to it?”

Yes you can record to an external USB HDD, which has to be over a certain size, is specially formatted by the TV - and the files can ONLY be played back on that exact TV.

To answer Tassium, they record with the TV set to standby as well - it's like a poor mans PVR

I had a play with a couple of sets a few weeks back, it's quite a worthwhile feature if you don't have a PVR, of it you want to record three things at once if you do.
ianpwilliams
13-03-2012
Oh ok. I was hoping that the files might have been readable by a computer for, say, editing ads out. But no matter. I don't know what PVR is, but I have an old DVD recorder, so USB recording could be useful as a second recording option.
Nigel Goodwin
13-03-2012
Originally Posted by ianpwilliams:
“Oh ok. I was hoping that the files might have been readable by a computer for, say, editing ads out. But no matter. I don't know what PVR is, but I have an old DVD recorder, so USB recording could be useful as a second recording option.”

PVR is 'Personal Video Recorder' - Sky+ being the most common example.
ianpwilliams
13-03-2012
Oh ok, makes sense.

I was just comparing my 28" CRT screen with the 40" Sony screen online:

http://www.displaywars.com/28-inch-16x9-vs-40-inch-16x9

Is it really that much bigger? It seems to be saying it's essentially 100% bigger in area size! It's going to be huge! And there was me worrying about going down from my initial 42" target!
Nigel Goodwin
14-03-2012
Originally Posted by ianpwilliams:
“Oh ok, makes sense.

I was just comparing my 28" CRT screen with the 40" Sony screen online:

http://www.displaywars.com/28-inch-16x9-vs-40-inch-16x9

Is it really that much bigger? It seems to be saying it's essentially 100% bigger in area size! It's going to be huge! And there was me worrying about going down from my initial 42" target!”

They aren't as big as you might think, a 28 inch CRT has a LOT of area that isn't the picture, whereas an LCD set is almost all picture.

If you replace a 28 inch CRT with a 32 inch LCD, it's actually often smaller than the old set, despite having a 3 inch larger picture.
ianpwilliams
14-03-2012
Oh yeah, sorry, I meant is the picture that much bigger. And it seems like it is. I used a tape measure to measure 40" diagonally over my TV, and the screen would be the same size as my current TV (the whole TV, not the picture), plus a 2" border. And like you say, my 28" CRT has a massive border around the picture, whereas the new TV's are nearly all picture.

Can't wait to get it now!
ianpwilliams
14-03-2012
Now I'm getting geeky about it...looking at viewing distance versus screen size information:

http://s3.carltonbale.com/resolution_chart.html

Based on that, and my situation (40" screen, approx 8 feet away), I would be just outside the "benefit of 1080p starting to become visible" section. But I can't afford to go bigger than 40" (at least, not without changing brand). I could always move the armchair forward a bit though, although it would be a bit in the way then. But one thing I do know is, even a 40" TV would be very big in the room, so I wouldn't want to go bigger, however tempting.

How much notice do people take of this screen size vs viewing distance thing?
paulmapp8306
15-03-2012
Re Plasma for gaming - in the old days I would agree - avoid due to picture retention/screen burn which occur because some of the graphics dont move (HUDs etc).

modern plasmas dont suffer from that any more - there is inbuilt tech to avoid it, and in the odd case where you may get a little - a few seconds of "terrestrial snow" after you finish gaming will get rid of it. Its no longer permanant.

Plasma handles motion WAY better than LCD - which is why for movies/sport and Gaming Plasma is the best option. LCDs give vivid colour (though not natural) and in general suffers less from reflections on the screen in lit/bright areas - so is a good choice for general family use - but fopr serious TV and fast games - Plasma Plasma Plasma.

Having said that - its your money and everyone has an opinion so ???

Sony are ne better than Panosonic though - there pretty much on par (possibly Pannys have the edge on Plasma - sonly possibly on LCD/LED). Either brand is fine. Nothing wrong with LG or Samsung either though there a tier down from the top two.
Deacon1972
15-03-2012
Originally Posted by ianpwilliams:
“Now I'm getting geeky about it...looking at viewing distance versus screen size information:

http://s3.carltonbale.com/resolution_chart.html

Based on that, and my situation (40" screen, approx 8 feet away), I would be just outside the "benefit of 1080p starting to become visible" section. But I can't afford to go bigger than 40" (at least, not without changing brand). I could always move the armchair forward a bit though, although it would be a bit in the way then. But one thing I do know is, even a 40" TV would be very big in the room, so I wouldn't want to go bigger, however tempting.

How much notice do people take of this screen size vs viewing distance thing?”

If you want the full benefit of HD then you have to take screen size v distance in to account when buying. Those who say they can't tell a difference between SD and HD most likely haven't.

You may think a certain size TV is too big, but just be aware, you soon get use to it's size and it's often the case the consumer wished they had gone bigger. They just don't dominated the room like large CRT's did.

How big is your room?
Nigel Goodwin
15-03-2012
Originally Posted by paulmapp8306:
“modern plasmas dont suffer from that any more - there is inbuilt tech to avoid it, and in the odd case where you may get a little - a few seconds of "terrestrial snow" after you finish gaming will get rid of it. Its no longer permanant.”

If that was the case then the warranties wouldn't specifically exclude it - and they still do!.

It's never been as big a problem as has been made out though, and a little common sense for the first few months will make it VERY unlikely. Once it's a couple of years old the risk is almost zero - I don't take any precautions with mine.
ianpwilliams
15-03-2012
Originally Posted by Deacon1972:
“How big is your room?”

It's 11 feet by 14 feet. And my head is around 8 feet away from the TV.

But there is a lot of stuff in the room. The way it is set up (the chair and TV stand being diagonal to the walls), I wouldn't want to move the armchair away from the wall, because there isn't really room to do that what with the sofa, table etc. I suppose I could move the tv stand forward, but only by a foot or so, because it would end up a bit nearer to the fire than I would like.

I have to say, when I imagine a 40" TV screen (easy to do in comparison to the overall size of my current TV) at 8 foot, it's hard to think that I would need to be closer.
David (2)
15-03-2012
just to add, recording to a USB drive is not considered a replacement for a PVR (eg, SKY+). So if you record things every day, on various channels etc, then you still need a pvr. And if you record things from sky, you have to use their machine anyway.

On the HD issue. Some people really cant see the difference, while others admit there is a difference but in the case of subscription tv (sky) dont think the HD upgrade is worth the extra money.
Nigel Goodwin
15-03-2012
Originally Posted by David (2):
“On the HD issue. Some people really cant see the difference,”

If they can't see the difference then they are doing something very wrong - most commonly viewing from too far away,or (less so) using a TV that's crap on HD (such as an older Plasma).

Paying for it is a different matter, and is purely personal choice - I wouldn't!.
ianpwilliams
16-03-2012
While I'm here, I could do with some advice about HDMI cables.

I'm definitely getting this Sony TV from John Lewis:

http://www.johnlewis.com/231202551/P...1#BVRRWidgetID

And I'll be connecting an Xbox 360 console to the TV, and a Technica HD Freeview box, and my new PC when I get it (which I will ensure has HDMI outs).

So do I need HDMI 1.3 cables:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Wired--up-v1...1889529&sr=8-1

or HDMI 1.4 cables:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/High-Speed-H...1889650&sr=8-1

or some other kind of HDMI cables?

And is it ok to buy the cheaper ones like those above, like most people seem to think?

And how much does length affect HDMI cables? I'll go for around 2m for Xbox 360>TV and 2m for Freeview>TV, but for PC>TV i would be looking at more like 8m because it's across the room.
flagpole
16-03-2012
Originally Posted by ianpwilliams:
“While I'm here, I could do with some advice about HDMI cables.

I'm definitely getting this Sony TV from John Lewis:

http://www.johnlewis.com/231202551/P...1#BVRRWidgetID

And I'll be connecting an Xbox 360 console to the TV, and a Technica HD Freeview box, and my new PC when I get it (which I will ensure has HDMI outs).

So do I need HDMI 1.3 cables:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Wired--up-v1...1889529&sr=8-1

or HDMI 1.4 cables:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/High-Speed-H...1889650&sr=8-1

or some other kind of HDMI cables?

And is it ok to buy the cheaper ones like those above, like most people seem to think?

And how much does length affect HDMI cables? I'll go for around 2m for Xbox 360>TV and 2m for Freeview>TV, but for PC>TV i would be looking at more like 8m because it's across the room.”

the conventional wisdom is that the quality of the HDMI cable doesn't matter. it's a digital connection so it's the same as the quality of images from your scanner doesn't improve if you buy a expensive usb lead. the exception being that if the signal is so bad then suddenly it starts to break up. but so long as there is no break up then the picture is perfect.

if the conventional wisdom is not correct then certainly the amount of money you have to pay is probably still not worth the any gain. you could easily spend more than the cost of the tv on 3 hdmi leads.

hdmi 1.4 adds support for 3D, ethernet and audio return channel. unless the devices on both end support these features then you are fine with 1.3

8m is quite long for hdmi but you should still be fine so long as it's not a challenging environment like running in between your boiler and washing machine.

i buy mine from here http://cablemountain.com/ and would recommend them. on one of my tvs with a super cheap hdmi the picture used to break when i turned the light on or off. that cable was like the amazon one you linked, i'm guessing it was completely unshielded. a like 3 or 4 pound one from cable mountain sorted that.
ianpwilliams
16-03-2012
Ok. The TV is 3D, and I've just learnt that the Xbox 360 can actually support 3D games, and that there are some out there (very pleased to hear that). As far as I know there are no 3D Freeview channels.

So I'm thinking the best bet is to get all 1.4, and then that covers all situations. So maybe two of these at 2m, and one at 10m:

http://cablemountain.com/epages/esho...ACK3DHDMI-0.5m

which comes to around £20. Do you think these would do the trick?
flagpole
16-03-2012
for the short ones i would think that anything would be fine. and probably for the long one too.

even with the long one my instinct would be to start fairly cheap and spend more if you have to.
ianpwilliams
16-03-2012
Well those are the cheapest 1.4 cables on Cable Mountain. Any cheaper and I would be back to the Amazon ones.
ianpwilliams
16-03-2012
Ok, TV is ordered, as are the HDMI cables. Thanks for the advice everyone
<<
<
2 of 3
>>
>
VIEW DESKTOP SITE TOP

JOIN US HERE

  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Hearst Corporation

Hearst Corporation

DIGITAL SPY, PART OF THE HEARST UK ENTERTAINMENT NETWORK

© 2015 Hearst Magazines UK is the trading name of the National Magazine Company Ltd, 72 Broadwick Street, London, W1F 9EP. Registered in England 112955. All rights reserved.

  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Complaints
  • Site Map