Best TV for around £500?

OffTheLine! · 15-09-2008, 12:44

Its finally time for me to get a HD set due to my beloved CRT going wrong.

I dont want to spend huge money and was looking for something around £500 and 32" upwards.

I've always had Sony or JVC in CRT TVs and want to get as much as I can for the money without spending a fortune.

It would only be used currently for a Wii and Sky+ although I'm already tempted to move to Sky HD in the next few months.

Any recommendations?

OffTheLine! · 15-09-2008, 13:11

And just to add, after reading this...

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/forums/s...d.php?t=895810

...I'm now confused as to whether I should get a p or an i!

Nigel Goodwin · 15-09-2008, 13:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by OffTheLine!

And just to add, after reading this...

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/forums/s...d.php?t=895810

...I'm now confused as to whether I should get a p or an i!

It makes absolutely sod all difference - even HD Ready instead of Full HD only has a slight difference.

As always, go and see the sets in a shop - ask to see them on SD as well as HD. It's SD that shows the difference between sets. We've just had the shop refitted and there are eight 32 inch Sony sets on one wall, they are all fed from the same Sky HD box via a Component splitter. And while the prices go from £399 to £899 I can't see the slightest difference between them!

OffTheLine! · 15-09-2008, 13:37

1080 is a yes though, whether its 'i' or 'p'?

I saw this. I like the look of it but assume the 720p makes it a no-no?

Also - The Wii. Will I notice a difference in quality if I buy new HD cables or is that a sales gimmick?

sancheeez · 15-09-2008, 14:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by OffTheLine!

1080 is a yes though, whether its 'i' or 'p'?

I saw this. I like the look of it but assume the 720p makes it a no-no?

Not at all.

It just means its not "full HD" resolution. Which, as Nigel says, won't make a great deal of difference to you unless you plan to play tons of HD Blu-ray films through it.

Even then, on a 32" screen, the extra resolution isn't essential at all. The bigger the screen, the more benefit you'll get from the higher resolution IF you feed it a source that makes full use of it.

If you'll mainly be viewing SD stuff, it makes little to no difference.

Quote:

Originally Posted by OffTheLine!

Also - The Wii. Will I notice a difference in quality if I buy new HD cables or is that a sales gimmick?

It will sharpen the picture up quite a bit.

I run my Wii on a 40" Sony ('only' a 720p set) connected via component and it does look better (sharper mainly) than my mates one which is connected via SCART to a 42" plasma.

OffTheLine! · 15-09-2008, 14:08

Not a huge movie person. Not enough to justify buying a blu-ray player at the moment anyway.

Sky HD the primary concern really.

sancheeez · 15-09-2008, 14:38

Sky HD will be fine for it as well.

You can adjust the Sky HD box between outputting a 720p and 1080i signal. Both will work fine on that TV. The TV will simply scale it to fit if it gets a 1080i signal.

I have Sky HD connected to my 720p 40" Sony and it looks amazing on the HD channels and perfectly acceptable on most of the better SD channels. Some of the low bitrate SD channels look a bit ropey but thats going to be the case on any large HD TV.

Sky doesn't use 1080p. Not much does! Blu-ray films and a few PS3 and XBOX360 games and thats about it.

OffTheLine! · 15-09-2008, 14:46

Thanks for that.

Another dumb HD-newbie question: If I opt for a 720 set, are they all 720p?

Nigel Goodwin · 15-09-2008, 14:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by OffTheLine!

Thanks for that.

Another dumb HD-newbie question: If I opt for a 720 set, are they all 720p?

Hardly any sets are 720, if it's HD Ready it's most likely to be 768 pixels - sets themselves are really neither P or i (they don't work that way), but will accept 720P or 1080i in all cases (part of the HD Ready spec), and 'may' accept 1080P (not part of the HD Ready spec).

OffTheLine! · 15-09-2008, 15:13

Right, ok.

Final question (I think!). If I get a 1080i set rather than a 1080p, am I going to put myself in any danger of requiring an upgrade down the line? Also, are their any disadvantages to a 1080p set? I'm asking that partly worrying if there's any downside to a SD broadcast on one over the other.

russellelly · 15-09-2008, 15:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by OffTheLine!

Right, ok.

Final question (I think!). If I get a 1080i set rather than a 1080p, am I going to put myself in any danger of requiring an upgrade down the line? Also, are their any disadvantages to a 1080p set? I'm asking that partly worrying if there's any downside to a SD broadcast on one over the other.

First off there's two distinct things to consider - which inputs the TV will accept, and what is the native resolution of the screen.

I've got a Panasonic TH37PX80 coming my way next week - it can accept 720p, 1080i and 1080p as inputs, but the screen's resolution is 1024x768, meaning any input is scaled.

The disadvantage of a 1080p set (I'll treat that phrase as a screen which has a resolution of 1920x1080 and can accept a 1080p input) is that it must upscale a standard definition picture more than a set with a lower resolution, so potentially has a better quality with a 1080p signal but poorer with 576i/p (ie standard definition).

Will you ever need to upgrade to 1080p - almost certainly no. Everything which outputs 1080p can also output 720p and/or 1080i. I doubt this will change given the number of sets which rely on these outputs. And many sets which don't have the resolution to give the benefit of 1080p will still accept the signal and downscale it, including the Panasonic I mentioned earlier.

Since I've just ordered one, I believe it is the best TV for £500 now. I got it from Littlewoods Direct, getting 10% off thanks to a discount code posted to AVForums.com and will hopefully get 8% in cashback via quidco. After cashback it should have only set me back around £480 - bargain!

Cornucopia · 15-09-2008, 17:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by OffTheLine!

1080 is a yes though, whether its 'i' or 'p'?

I saw this. I like the look of it but assume the 720p makes it a no-no?

Also - The Wii. Will I notice a difference in quality if I buy new HD cables or is that a sales gimmick?

That looks like a good choice. All the comments about resolution are spot on, for a 32inch screen size or below.

That particular set is available for £100 less than the Currys' price at Richer Sounds. Also, if you were perhaps considering an extended guarantee, this will be much cheaper at RS than Currys.

In your price range you can also get reasonable 37" sets, so if you did want a bigger screen, cost isn't necessarily going to prevent that.

OffTheLine! · 15-09-2008, 18:41

37" wouldn't be a problem. If anything, I'm thinking that because there's not the bulk of the casing that my CRT has, a 32" may actually look slightly smaller in the front room...

OffTheLine! · 17-09-2008, 19:54

Gone for the Toshiba 32XV505DB in the end. Just got it set up today. Looking good even with my SD Sky+.

Called Sky and got HD for a magical £99 including install. Can't wait!

frabs · 18-09-2008, 13:32

I would recommend the Panasonic Viera TX 32LZD80 (Which Best Buy 84%) but it is a shadeover £500. (£569 on Amazon)

SD picture is fantastic until we get more HD broadcasts.

For under £500 you can get the 26" model. (another Which Best Buy 80%)

OffTheLine! · 18-09-2008, 13:45

Bit late now!

I'm pretty happy so far with it. Noticeable difference on the Wii as well. Looking forward to HD being installed!

15-09-2008, 12:44	#1
OffTheLine! Forum Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: North of England Posts: 920	Best TV for around £500? Its finally time for me to get a HD set due to my beloved CRT going wrong. I dont want to spend huge money and was looking for something around £500 and 32" upwards. I've always had Sony or JVC in CRT TVs and want to get as much as I can for the money without spending a fortune. It would only be used currently for a Wii and Sky+ although I'm already tempted to move to Sky HD in the next few months. Any recommendations?

15-09-2008, 13:11	#2
OffTheLine! Forum Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: North of England Posts: 920	And just to add, after reading this... http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/forums/s...d.php?t=895810 ...I'm now confused as to whether I should get a p or an i!

15-09-2008, 13:25	#3
Nigel Goodwin Forum Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: North Derbyshire Posts: 41,789	Quote: Originally Posted by OffTheLine! And just to add, after reading this... http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/forums/s...d.php?t=895810 ...I'm now confused as to whether I should get a p or an i! It makes absolutely sod all difference - even HD Ready instead of Full HD only has a slight difference. As always, go and see the sets in a shop - ask to see them on SD as well as HD. It's SD that shows the difference between sets. We've just had the shop refitted and there are eight 32 inch Sony sets on one wall, they are all fed from the same Sky HD box via a Component splitter. And while the prices go from £399 to £899 I can't see the slightest difference between them!

15-09-2008, 13:37	#4
OffTheLine! Forum Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: North of England Posts: 920	1080 is a yes though, whether its 'i' or 'p'? I saw this. I like the look of it but assume the 720p makes it a no-no? Also - The Wii. Will I notice a difference in quality if I buy new HD cables or is that a sales gimmick?

15-09-2008, 14:03	#5
sancheeez Forum Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 6,762	Quote: Originally Posted by OffTheLine! 1080 is a yes though, whether its 'i' or 'p'? I saw this. I like the look of it but assume the 720p makes it a no-no? Not at all. It just means its not "full HD" resolution. Which, as Nigel says, won't make a great deal of difference to you unless you plan to play tons of HD Blu-ray films through it. Even then, on a 32" screen, the extra resolution isn't essential at all. The bigger the screen, the more benefit you'll get from the higher resolution IF you feed it a source that makes full use of it. If you'll mainly be viewing SD stuff, it makes little to no difference. Quote: Originally Posted by OffTheLine! Also - The Wii. Will I notice a difference in quality if I buy new HD cables or is that a sales gimmick? It will sharpen the picture up quite a bit. I run my Wii on a 40" Sony ('only' a 720p set) connected via component and it does look better (sharper mainly) than my mates one which is connected via SCART to a 42" plasma.

15-09-2008, 14:08	#6
OffTheLine! Forum Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: North of England Posts: 920	Not a huge movie person. Not enough to justify buying a blu-ray player at the moment anyway. Sky HD the primary concern really.

15-09-2008, 14:38	#7
sancheeez Forum Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 6,762	Sky HD will be fine for it as well. You can adjust the Sky HD box between outputting a 720p and 1080i signal. Both will work fine on that TV. The TV will simply scale it to fit if it gets a 1080i signal. I have Sky HD connected to my 720p 40" Sony and it looks amazing on the HD channels and perfectly acceptable on most of the better SD channels. Some of the low bitrate SD channels look a bit ropey but thats going to be the case on any large HD TV. Sky doesn't use 1080p. Not much does! Blu-ray films and a few PS3 and XBOX360 games and thats about it.

15-09-2008, 14:46	#8
OffTheLine! Forum Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: North of England Posts: 920	Thanks for that. Another dumb HD-newbie question: If I opt for a 720 set, are they all 720p?

15-09-2008, 14:59	#9
Nigel Goodwin Forum Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: North Derbyshire Posts: 41,789	Quote: Originally Posted by OffTheLine! Thanks for that. Another dumb HD-newbie question: If I opt for a 720 set, are they all 720p? Hardly any sets are 720, if it's HD Ready it's most likely to be 768 pixels - sets themselves are really neither P or i (they don't work that way), but will accept 720P or 1080i in all cases (part of the HD Ready spec), and 'may' accept 1080P (not part of the HD Ready spec).

15-09-2008, 15:13	#10
OffTheLine! Forum Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: North of England Posts: 920	Right, ok. Final question (I think!). If I get a 1080i set rather than a 1080p, am I going to put myself in any danger of requiring an upgrade down the line? Also, are their any disadvantages to a 1080p set? I'm asking that partly worrying if there's any downside to a SD broadcast on one over the other.

15-09-2008, 15:25	#11
russellelly Forum Member Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Scotland Posts: 10,720	Quote: Originally Posted by OffTheLine! Right, ok. Final question (I think!). If I get a 1080i set rather than a 1080p, am I going to put myself in any danger of requiring an upgrade down the line? Also, are their any disadvantages to a 1080p set? I'm asking that partly worrying if there's any downside to a SD broadcast on one over the other. First off there's two distinct things to consider - which inputs the TV will accept, and what is the native resolution of the screen. I've got a Panasonic TH37PX80 coming my way next week - it can accept 720p, 1080i and 1080p as inputs, but the screen's resolution is 1024x768, meaning any input is scaled. The disadvantage of a 1080p set (I'll treat that phrase as a screen which has a resolution of 1920x1080 and can accept a 1080p input) is that it must upscale a standard definition picture more than a set with a lower resolution, so potentially has a better quality with a 1080p signal but poorer with 576i/p (ie standard definition). Will you ever need to upgrade to 1080p - almost certainly no. Everything which outputs 1080p can also output 720p and/or 1080i. I doubt this will change given the number of sets which rely on these outputs. And many sets which don't have the resolution to give the benefit of 1080p will still accept the signal and downscale it, including the Panasonic I mentioned earlier. Since I've just ordered one, I believe it is the best TV for £500 now. I got it from Littlewoods Direct, getting 10% off thanks to a discount code posted to AVForums.com and will hopefully get 8% in cashback via quidco. After cashback it should have only set me back around £480 - bargain!

15-09-2008, 17:25	#12
Cornucopia Forum Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 15,568	Quote: Originally Posted by OffTheLine! 1080 is a yes though, whether its 'i' or 'p'? I saw this. I like the look of it but assume the 720p makes it a no-no? Also - The Wii. Will I notice a difference in quality if I buy new HD cables or is that a sales gimmick? That looks like a good choice. All the comments about resolution are spot on, for a 32inch screen size or below. That particular set is available for £100 less than the Currys' price at Richer Sounds. Also, if you were perhaps considering an extended guarantee, this will be much cheaper at RS than Currys. In your price range you can also get reasonable 37" sets, so if you did want a bigger screen, cost isn't necessarily going to prevent that.

15-09-2008, 18:41	#13
OffTheLine! Forum Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: North of England Posts: 920	37" wouldn't be a problem. If anything, I'm thinking that because there's not the bulk of the casing that my CRT has, a 32" may actually look slightly smaller in the front room...

17-09-2008, 19:54	#14
OffTheLine! Forum Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: North of England Posts: 920	Gone for the Toshiba 32XV505DB in the end. Just got it set up today. Looking good even with my SD Sky+. Called Sky and got HD for a magical £99 including install. Can't wait!

18-09-2008, 13:32	#15
frabs Forum Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 40	I would recommend the Panasonic Viera TX 32LZD80 (Which Best Buy 84%) but it is a shadeover £500. (£569 on Amazon) SD picture is fantastic until we get more HD broadcasts. For under £500 you can get the 26" model. (another Which Best Buy 80%)

18-09-2008, 13:45	#16
OffTheLine! Forum Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: North of England Posts: 920	Bit late now! I'm pretty happy so far with it. Noticeable difference on the Wii as well. Looking forward to HD being installed!

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Best TV for around £500?