[Mad Hatter]

I have seen a tv at asda today and was able to view the picture which looked really good. I have been reading reviews and generally speaking they are good. A couple of people said the remote control was a bit tricky to read as grey on black (I think), someone said the sound comes from the back but have got used to it now. But all in all sounds a really good tv for the price (I am on a tight budget). Have you got a Luxor tv and would you recommend it please. Thanks in advance.

[Nigel Goodwin]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mad Hatter

I have seen a tv at asda today and was able to view the picture which looked really good. I have been reading reviews and generally speaking they are good. A couple of people said the remote control was a bit tricky to read as grey on black (I think), someone said the sound comes from the back but have got used to it now. But all in all sounds a really good tv for the price (I am on a tight budget). Have you got a Luxor tv and would you recommend it please. Thanks in advance.

Luxor ceased to exist ages ago, it's since been just a badge on cheap gear - but I was of the opinion that it had even been dropped from that now?.

If you're looking for a cheap TV it's probably just as good as all the other Supermarket names - and probably identical inside to most.

[Arkudos]

You can get a 32" LG for £225. Just how low is your budget?

[flashgordon1952]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Arkudos

You can get a 32" LG for £225. Just how low is your budget?

You cannot go wrong with buying from a well known make rather than some weird name from the past ,which actually does not exists anymore (thy just put that name on the tv )
There are only a small number of companies that make the panels like the LED ones.
Build quality is what counts in the end . samsang ,LG (particular this make) Panasonic.sony,sharp hitachi and toshiba are all worth buying from. Of these probably LG stand out the best and likely to be the most expensive.
Even a 42inch can be bought for less than £399 now. and i have seen 50inch ones for under £500 LED.
LED are better than plasma and LCD but only because they are lighter and thinner and are beter for 3D (which in view is not worth the extra money).

[Mad Hatter]

Thanks for your replies.

Maybe in the long run, a cheap tv isnt the best way to go. They say "you get what you pay for". Perhaps I will wait till my current tv/digibox blow up.

[coachtrip_fan99]

Quote:

Originally Posted by flashgordon1952

Build quality is what counts in the end . samsang ,LG (particular this make) Panasonic.sony,sharp hitachi and toshiba are all worth buying from. Of these probably LG stand out the best and likely to be the most expensive.

personally I would put Panasonic at the top... then Sony then Samsung.

LG can be OK.. but are expensive to repair, it seems.

Be careful of Sharp, some of their cheaper TV's are rebadged vestel sets...... and I don't think hitachi make TV's any more either.

[Nigel Goodwin]

Quote:

Originally Posted by coachtrip_fan99

personally I would put Panasonic at the top... then Sony then Samsung.

LG can be OK.. but are expensive to repair, it seems.

Be careful of Sharp, some of their cheaper TV's are rebadged vestel sets...... and I don't think hitachi make TV's any more either.

Hitachi haven't made many TV's for a long, long time (20+ years?) - almost all are just cheap Vestel now.

[XxBlaKOuTZxX]

I wouldn't go for any cheap make of tv. too many risks involved.

As for putting manufacturers in order of which is the best.

Panasonic (no doubt about it) but are expensive.
Samsung (stunning design and breath taking PQ) hopefully reliability problems are a thing of the past.
LG (going the same way as Samsung)
Sony (losing ground to Samsung and LG) but still worth a look.

imo, it's the cost of Panasonic and Sony models that put many people off.

Smart 3D is a must have or so it seems as more and more models have these built in.

[Nigel Goodwin]

Quote:

Originally Posted by XxBlaKOuTZxX

I wouldn't go for any cheap make of tv. too many risks involved.

As for putting manufacturers in order of which is the best.

Panasonic (no doubt about it) but are expensive.
Samsung (stunning design and breath taking PQ) hopefully reliability problems are a thing of the past.
LG (going the same way as Samsung)
Sony (losing ground to Samsung and LG) but still worth a look.

OK, except Sony is at the top, above Panasonic - both of whom are well ahead of the other two. However, there's very little difference between Sony and Panasonic.

[XxBlaKOuTZxX]

I don't know about that Nigel. The new Sony range is nothing to look at imo. Their design seems plain, same old. I believe that most people go for the look of the tv as well as PQ and functions. For me Samsung design stunning tv's and LG are doing exactly the same. And with £ being tight for most people, Samsung and LG give you the same technology as Panasonic and Sony but at a cheaper cost.

[captainkremmen]

If you are happy with OK performance rather than something that will wow you then the Luxor is fine. It's just another budget name these days, no different to Technika, Alba, Bush, Hitachi, the lower end Sharp and Toshiba models etc. Good as a second set for the bedroom or kitchen but you might be a little disappointed with it as a main livingroom set. It will be made most likely by Vestel too.

If you're looking for a good main TV then I would say, as others have, that Panasonic or Sony's flagship sets are the best, closely followed these days by the higher range sets fro Samsung and LG.

If you really are after a mid range, reasonably priced set then stick to LG or Samsung. Their mid range sets aren't quite as good as their higher end TVs but they are streets ahead of the supermarket/budget brands.

Another thing to think about, if you aren't that interested in all the fancy new smart TV features consider one of the higher end LG or Samsung sets from last year. The picture quality and panels used are much the same as this years so picture quality will likely be just as good, but they just wont have quite the same range of features as this years models, but you could save yourself a few hundred pounds as a result.

Whatever set you buy you wont see it at it's best in the shops as they are normally set up differently than they would be in your home (usually the brightness etc. is ramped way up which can actually make the TV look a bit worse than it will do when you have it setup to your own preferences).

[XxBlaKOuTZxX]

Quote:

Originally Posted by captainkremmen

If you are happy with OK performance rather than something that will wow you then the Luxor is fine. It's just another budget name these days, no different to Technika, Alba, Bush, Hitachi, the lower end Sharp and Toshiba models etc. Good as a second set for the bedroom or kitchen but you might be a little disappointed with it as a main livingroom set. It will be made most likely by Vestel too.

If you're looking for a good main TV then I would say, as others have, that Panasonic or Sony's flagship sets are the best, closely followed these days by the higher range sets fro Samsung and LG.

If you really are after a mid range, reasonably priced set then stick to LG or Samsung. Their mid range sets aren't quite as good as their higher end TVs but they are streets ahead of the supermarket/budget brands.

Another thing to think about, if you aren't that interested in all the fancy new smart TV features consider one of the higher end LG or Samsung sets from last year. The picture quality and panels used are much the same as this years so picture quality will likely be just as good, but they just wont have quite the same range of features as this years models, but you could save yourself a few hundred pounds as a result.

Whatever set you buy you wont see it at it's best in the shops as they are normally set up differently than they would be in your home (usually the brightness etc. is ramped way up which can actually make the TV look a bit worse than it will do when you have it setup to your own preferences).

That's it though. As you said, it's the high end models that are the best and most are out of people's price range. So Samsung and LG are swamping the mid-range market.
Even some high-end Samsung models (D8000 and now ES8000) can be expensive but still a fraction of the cost of high end Panasonic and Sony models.

[Chris Frost]

Quote:

Originally Posted by XxBlaKOuTZxX

That's it though. As you said, it's the high end models that are the best and most are out of people's price range. So Samsung and LG are swamping the mid-range market.
Even some high-end Samsung models (D8000 and now ES8000) can be expensive but still a fraction of the cost of high end Panasonic and Sony models.

I can't say I agree with this. Purely from a picture quality point of view I have found Samsung and LG sets to be no better than average even on their higher spec models.

My view is that they throw features design and price at the customer to win a sale. Picture quality doesn't seem to factor that highly. The images are grainy and overprocessed. Whenever I have replaced an old or faulty Sammy or LG with a Panasonic for a customer the reaction has always been the same. The picture quality is miles better.

Panasonic has some very high value sets it' s true, but I don't see that as a problem. Trickledown works. The advantages of the Kuro screen technology from Pioneer made it into the Neo plasmas, and thats now available in all but the lowest price Panasonic sets. The LCD and LED sets are developing nicely too. Where's the same fundamental product development from the Korean brands?

The fact is that both Samsung and LG have been known to chop and change panel suppliers from internally souced to externally sourced product when pricing is favourable. Thats a big problem . Without continuity there can be no progression in display technology. That explains why both brands throw so much processing at the image.

In the absence of good advice people will shop with their wallets. Thats always been true. I just fear that we are forgetting the primary function of a TV and so buying the Emporers new clothes.

[Mad Hatter]

I dont want to be wow'd by a television, I just want to sit of an evening, chill out and watch telly. I am not a big film watcher so not bothered about a super duper tv. I have made a list of what you all think is the best make numbering them so that when I get a tv, I will know which ones to look at.

Thanks again for all your helpful replies

[ProDave]

Quote:

Originally Posted by XxBlaKOuTZxX

....I believe that most people go for the look of the tv as well as PQ and functions.

Which for me means I wouldn't touch any recent offering with a barge pole.

The sooner this fad for totally impractical shiny reflective "piano black" passes the better. I much prefer my older set with it's non reflective mat black surround.

I did install a new Panasonic recently for someone and that impressed me and IIRC that didn't have a nasty reflective surround, so perhaps things are getting better again.