Hello,

I originally posted this in the wrong forum.

I am looking for some advice and recommendations on TVs, upscaling DVD players and Blue Ray, I admit I don't fully understand all the technology or speake.

A few years ago I mentioned that as a family we still rented our TVs and still do, DS members were amazed I did this.

Well now has come the time to buy.

I have budgeted £4,500 for five TVs and a couple of DVD upscalers or Blue Rays but this is not a fixed amount.

We have 4 separate Tiscali non-PVR cable boxes in the property, two of which are for the living room and my office and will need to connect these to all the new TVs, the Tiscali boxes have scart connections.

The two main important TVs are living room, 87x32ft, I am told size of room matters in choice of LCD or plasma.

So would like a 50-60in TV for the LR, should we go LCD or Plasma? It needs to be 1080p, we need as many HDMI outputs as possible.

We would also like HD recorder /DVD upscaler players or Blue Ray either as one unit or separates, we do not want suround sound systems.

For the office, 25x18ft I would like a 42-47 in TV, same as above features but instead of a gloss black finish, I would so like a timber, ( no not I'm a celebrity ), teak effect finish if possible, if not black piano finish will do.

Office TV to be wall hung, LR TV ceiling hung.

All advice/opinions would be much appreciated, not just the TVs but Blue/DVD players with HDRs.

Hello I have the Sony KDL-40X3500 which is 1080p it is a Sony Bravia and it is top of the range it is a really good tv HD looks amazing on it and SD looks jus as good.

I would highly recommend the Sony BDP-3500 it is an amazing blu ray player and it is the best on the market at the moment Bluray discs look amazing on it and it upscles beautifully It will also compliment your Sony LCD tv you can buy the bluray player for under £200 off play.com

Hope this helps and has given you a few ideas

Regards

I think they are going to need something bigger than a 40" TV for a room that's 87x32ft - what about an IMAX screen.

The Sony 350 is a good recommendation, if they are into gaming as well the PS3 is highly recommended.

I'm blessed Jimmy,

I have a very large family, an even larger extended family.

Believe you me when this house is full, every inch is required.

I should add those measurements do include a nearly completed 30ft extension,--- to house ones Corkies of course.

Any opinions on the orignal questions.

Hi seacam

I bought a Sony 350 bluray player last week, and am delighted with it - its performance on DVD's is nothing short of brilliant, and it can bring life to tired old DVD's that you've not watched for a while - - feed it a bluray disc, and it is absolutely stunning.

As for TV's, first decide on the size you want, then go and have a look at them in the flesh and see which one you think looks the best - if it helps to narrow it down, in my opinion the best ones to look at are Sony, Panasonic, Toshiba, Samsung and Pioneer - and out of them, I'd be surprised if you don't come home with one of the first three

Size of room doesn't matter a jot apart from the aesthetics. What matters is how far you sit from the TV and often in a large room there are sofas or chairs clustered around one end for the TV.

How far do you sit from the TV?

Thank you Bobcar,

You are quite right, I misunderstood the information I was given but I thought size did matter

My office, 12-15ft, LR 18-24ft sitting distant.

The guest bedrooms, average 20 x 17, TVs will be on stands of the 42in variety 10-12ft sitting distance I reckon.

Hello Fats and thanks

I'm not a great Sony fan to be honest, but the other three brands are OK, I like LG too, especially their designs but I am told from different sources their technology lags.

I have done just that, looked at TVs but that's the problem it's under showroom conditions.

The lounge has been designed to flood with natural light, how does that effect one's viewing experience either as LCD or Plasma?

I'm so stupid here Fats and I'm sick to death of hearing derision from my kids, I didn't know you could play ordinary DVDs on a Blue Ray.

In that case can you get Blue Ray with a HD.

It has Methody and thanks.

As I wrote to Fats, I'm not a huge Sony fan, I don't recall the Sony Blue Ray player you write of so I will take a look.

You mentioned Play.com have you had any problems with this company? I recall reading there were some or maybe I'm mistaken.

For the living room at distances of 18'-24' just go for as large as you can afford. At those distances there is no need to go for full HD 1080p so you can make a saving there and trade that for a larger TV. (It is still an advantage for your TV to be able to accept 1080p24 but there will be no advantage from a 1920x1080 resolution).

For your office at 12'-15' there is also no need for full HD 1080p for TVs of 50" and below.

If the room is well lit then generally LCDs would be considered better than plasmas because they are less reflective though some LCDs have a gloss screen.

I wouldnt buy LG if I was you. Your budget is high enough to buy a decent tv, like Pioneer, Panasonic and Sony. I would get the best tv you can for the LR, as this is the tv that will be watched most often.

What size were you thinking of for the bedrooms? Also the office tv, is this for presentations to clients? or just for personal use?

Hello Seacam I have ordered a lot of stuff of play mainly bluray discs it has to be said and I have never had a problem with them or with play they sell stuff a lot cheaper than you would find in the shops Why do you not like Sony?

Regards

I find this site useful to find who is selling the cheapest DVD.

Thank you Bobcar,

I have taken that all on board.

Any personal preference you have on your TV brand and why and if I go for a 60in LCD, which one?, although I gather our brand options are a little limited with that size.

Your opinions if you have one on a brand of Blue Ray player would be appreciated.

Hello Amjid,

42in should be OK

47in and mainly for personal use, my office is finished with timber from a ship and an Elizabethan house so I would dearly love a timber/teak finish TV but piano finish will do.

The wife is saying go for silver/graphite finish, there are PCs in there so can get a little dusty.

Thanks, I'll take a look.

Your options are very limited at that size and especially at a sensible price, most of the larger TVs are plasma so although I said LCD is usually better for reflections it may be that plasma is still the best bet - similarly although I said you don't need full HD most of the large TVs are full HD, it's not a disadvantage so don't take that advice too literally just don't reject a set because it's not full HD.

You need to go and look at some sets taking special care to take account of your viewing distance.

The branded BluRay players (Sony, Panasonic etc) are all pretty good just make sure you go for one of the new models and not the old ones that are still kicking around.

Thanks Methody,

Sony, well yes I guess I've just been unlucky with their products lasting the course with us.

To be fair I know nothing about their flat TVs, what I've seen I like so it's reticence on my part, I have found the brand to be so unreliable.

Now my dear old Mum, she was a life long Sony and Grundic fan.

Great, thanks Bobcar,

I wouldn't know some of the newer BluRay models, could you suggest a couple and do any come with HDs?

The Panasonic BD35 is good, there is also a newer model BD55 (both come without HD). I have my eyes on the BD35, just need to get the wifes eye of re-decorating the spare bedroom, and onto the blu-ray player as well .

Personally I would push the boat out on the LR tv, as this is the tv that will be used the most. A 50" pionner or panasonic will set you back around £2K. Then with what was left over, I would buy the office and bedroom tvs.

If you bought all your tvs from from one shop, you could quite easily wrangle yourself a free blu-ray player (I dont mean a cheapo one for around £150 either)..especially in the current climate.

Will you be getting sky HD as well? With Sky you would get a recording device, that can record in HD.

Shame you don't like Sony seacam, as their stuff is pretty good on the whole - don't get me wrong, they have made a few duds in their time, but the bulk of their stuff is pretty good, particularly when you are getting to the top of their range.

Having said that, I am also a lover of Panasonic stuff - and have rarely been disappointed with their stuff either - in fact, it was seeing a Panasonic Blu-Ray in full swing at the start of the year that pricked my interest as it was so good.

As far as I am aware, none of the blu-ray players yet come with HDD built in - that is still the reserve of DVD recorders, although no doubt in the next few years we will see blu-ray recorders with HDD's as well.

For the really big screens, you are almost definitely into plasma, which as far as I am concerned is giving you a choice between Panasonic, Samsung or Pioneer - all make some fine sets, so you should manage to find something really good for your cash. Personally, I don't rate LG for TV's at all - bitter experience with an LG plasma set at work put me off them for good.

A blu-ray player will allow you to play any new material you buy on blu-ray, making the best of your new high-def TV, whilst also playing all your existing DVD's (and making them look better in the process) - and for a 'cheapie' the Sony 350 is too good a performer to not consider, particularly when you consider it was £250 at launch a few months back, and is now available for less than £150.

You don't need to spend a fortune on a DVD/HDD recorder to get reasonable recording/playback performance (when you think what VCR's cost years ago, it is incredible what you can get for £200 or less nowadays), again Panasonic and Sony have some stunningly good machines available for well under £200.

And lastly, give consideration to heaving your Tiscali service in favour of Sky HD, with standard muti-room boxes in your other rooms (or Sky+ boxes as you wish) - again, this would make the best of the new high definition TV's, and as Amjid points out, would also give you the ability to record in HD.