Posted August 2, 2007 I need a bit of advice with my new TV, it's a Samsung SM940MW, I'm running my Wii through it with a component cable, and I'm pretty sure it doesn't look half as good as it did through my hulking great CRT downstairs and an RGB cable. Is there a way to coax a bit more out of it, or does anyone know a sweet-spot for contrast/sharpness settings etc? Or am I asking too much considering it only cost like 220 quid? All wii's look like that on HD-TV's i couldn't stand it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted August 2, 2007 My Wii looks great on my HD TV. It only looks like horse shit when I sit right next to my TV. If I sit around 5 ft away, it looks awesome. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted August 2, 2007 Someone point me in the direction of a good HDTV? I want something 32+ and be used for general tv watching (not HD but I need a new TV and future proofing myself) and gaming on my Wii and any possible new consoles I may get. Looking for now more than £600 really. Thanks Samsung LE32R87BDX 32" LCD TV I know it's the same/similar as a lot of people have here, including myself, but there's a reason for that - it's a great piece of kit! All wii's look like that on HD-TV's i couldn't stand it. I honestly don't understand the fuss people are making over this! Are you actually sitting 30 cms from the screen or something? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted August 2, 2007 Toshiba 32WLT68: http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000JU0H22/kelkoocpc-lcdtvs-21/ref=nosim#moreAboutThisProduct Ignore the Amazon score, no idea why it's 3.5/5? Probably the HotUKDeals lot who were spouting off about £550 being a rip-off for a 32"... This is widely regarded as one of the best LCD TVs ever made, take a look at some reviews and the WLT68 thread over at avforums.com Sharp LC-32RD2E: http://www.empiredirect.co.uk/content/products/details/?modelcode=SHA-LC32RD2E The RD2E is a little over you're budget (£599 + £15 p&p) but join ED members club (£20) and you get a free 3 year warranty! It's the second best 32" set around at the moment, after the Sony D3000 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted August 3, 2007 http://www.dabs.com/ProductView.aspx?Quicklinx=4C4W&CategorySelectedId=11229&PageMode=1&NavigationKey=11229,49100000,15&InMerch=1 Can you guys rate this tv for me? I want a good set but I'm on a bit of a budget. That one seems like a really good deal to me. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted August 3, 2007 What are you panning on using it for? My current recommendation, assuming space isn't an issue, is to buy a 22" LCD monitor with component connections for PC, 360 and PS3 use and get a CRT for TV, DVD and Wii. It means taking up more space but the price of a good 22" monitor + a decent 28" CRT comes to about the same as a decent LCD TV and you get better pictures for it! Alternaively, the best 32" LCD in that price bracket is this: http://www.ebuyer.com/UK/product/129151/rb/0 If the main use is Wii or TV then i don't recommend you buy an LCD though Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted August 3, 2007 I'd be using it for Wii, Freeview TV, and 360. I have a 14" CRT currently which I was considering keeping next to the new one so I could watch a Football match or something while playing a console. I'd probably still put the Wii on the new one, however. It won't be used as a PC monitor, since my PC is in a completely different room and I don't intend on moving it. And I have no plans currently to buy a PS3, but I'm not gonna rule it out. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted August 3, 2007 I would say consider what you use the most then. LCDs = Good for 360, not so good for Wii + TV CRTs = Good for Wii and TV, not so great on 360 (although 360 at 480p is a lot better than Wii upscaled to 720p) Don't buy an LCD just because it's "future proof". If you don't need an LCD now then wait and buy it when you do. By then the prices will have tumbled further and you're £300 will get you a lot more. I haven't done the upgrade yet myself, still using this: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Philips-14PT2666-Nicam-Portable-radio/dp/B00008Z9XI I've no intention of buying an LCD TV any time soon. Im going to upgrade to a 28" CRT + 22" PC Monitor combo because it gives the best of both worlds (and a total of 50" viewing space for the same price as a 32" Samsung :p) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted August 4, 2007 Perhaps then I would be best buying myself a large CRT screen, which I can then use for the Wii and 360, and then have the 14" with my freeview box. Or just leave it completely for now. >_> Would the Wii still look really bad on an LCD if it was plugged in with a scart and set to 480p? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted August 4, 2007 Yup. Its the screen thats the problem. LCDs have a fixed resolution. Whatever they are manufactured at is what they display, so a 720p LCD will only display 720p. You can put other stuff into the set, but the processing invents or deletes lines until the resolution is the same as the screen. The problem is, inventing lines isn't a good idea... The only way around this is to have a set that can vary it's resolution. So far the only consumer level technologies that can do this are CRT and Plasma, and both of these have they're draw backs. Give it a few years and either a HD Wii will be out or new TV tech will be out that can vary the resolution on a flat panel (too much info?) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted August 5, 2007 Nope, its all very useful How noticeable is the difference, though? I mean I played the Wii on my mates 40" HDTV and I never really noticed anything, though in fairness I wasn't particularly looking for anything. Would it be a good idea to buy in store rather than online and ask to see both a HD and an SD source on the set before buying? Edit; Oh, and I was also thinking that I would be getting around 26" rather than 32", as I feel 32 would be overkill for my setup. Would that affect anything your saying? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted August 5, 2007 Edit; Oh, and I was also thinking that I would be getting around 26" rather than 32", as I feel 32 would be overkill for my setup. Would that affect anything your saying? Theres no such thing as overkill in terms of TVs. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted August 5, 2007 Heh :p That may be true, but since I'm on a budget I'm trying to convince myself 32" will be too much :p I mean I only sit about 4' from my set, and my current one is a 14", so going for a higher quality 26" would probably be better than a low-end 32". Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted August 5, 2007 Heh :p That may be true, but since I'm on a budget I'm trying to convince myself 32" will be too much :p I mean I only sit about 4' from my set, and my current one is a 14", so going for a higher quality 26" would probably be better than a low-end 32". Those were my thoughts exactly. Went for the high end 26" and never regretted it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted August 5, 2007 Nope, its all very useful How noticeable is the difference, though? I mean I played the Wii on my mates 40" HDTV and I never really noticed anything, though in fairness I wasn't particularly looking for anything. Would it be a good idea to buy in store rather than online and ask to see both a HD and an SD source on the set before buying? Edit; Oh, and I was also thinking that I would be getting around 26" rather than 32", as I feel 32 would be overkill for my setup. Would that affect anything your saying? Was you're mates 40" an LCD or Plasma though? Plasmas actually work quite well for SD stuff, unfortunately they are big (37"+) and expensive (£600+). Everyone is different, some notice the problems associated with LCDs, others don't. It's all about what works for you I'd go into a store and demo some units, bet some will even let you bring you're Wii and demo the sets. Find one you're happy with, note the model number and find a web price (internet is usually a lot cheaper). Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted August 9, 2007 Urgent (ie pre-tomorrow) reply needed by someone who knows a kaboodle about this stuff. Is this worth £400? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted August 9, 2007 It doesn't say if it has a component in or not, if it does (most likely) yeah its good. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted August 9, 2007 It does. Component. HDMI. Several scarts. Something else (RGB...?). Up to 1080i. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted August 10, 2007 It does. Component. HDMI. Several scarts. Something else (RGB...?). Up to 1080i. I believe RGB is fancy talk for VGA. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted August 10, 2007 Not yet. Trying to decide which to get, that one or this. The AOC is £50 less (when factoring in delivery) and has a two year guarantee. Not as good contrast (1200 compared to 1600). Just trying to weigh it all up, and I hate making decisions. Opinions and advice is more than welcome. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted August 10, 2007 Was you're mates 40" an LCD or Plasma though? Plasmas actually work quite well for SD stuff, unfortunately they are big (37"+) and expensive (£600+). Everyone is different, some notice the problems associated with LCDs, others don't. It's all about what works for you I'd go into a store and demo some units, bet some will even let you bring you're Wii and demo the sets. Find one you're happy with, note the model number and find a web price (internet is usually a lot cheaper). Well I've been in to Curries, and I'm gonig to Comet tomorrow. I've worked out that the size I want is 23", rather than 26", as 26 is only 1 smaller than my living room TV and would definately be oversized. And earlier in this thread I was thinking of getting a 32"! Since I'm now going for a smaller set (23" I believe is the biggest size which wouldn't look oversized in my room) I have a bit more leverage for getting a high quality set. This Samsung seems to fit the bill perfectly, other than the price tag :p I was thinking it may be worth going a bit over budget, so that I get everything that I wanted, and more. I need 1 Component, 1 Composite (A/V, could also be replaced by an extra SCART), and 2 SCART sockets. With this, I get 1 Component, 2 SCARTS and the freeview built in - which means that with A/V into SCART blahblah, it's got the perfect amount of sockets. With 3 HDMI it seems future proof for if I have an "accident" with my Xbox and get a HDMI version, a PS3, etc. It also has a far higher contrast ratio (4000:1) than I was looking at with other sets (1200:1 mostly, and in Curries the highest seemed to be 800:1, which I thought sounded rather poor in comparison). The third extra is the features it has. However, how useful are these thnigs, like Game Mode, DNIe? Another thought that came to me is the freeview (in general). Do I need to get a cable to run through my wall and connect to the aerial we use for the other freeview box, or will the TV pick up a signal from my room? Finally, can you tell from the figures on that page how high quality the sound system is? I have no idea, and while it isn't a huge deal, it would be nice to know. Wow, probably my longest post on this forum I know I'm asking for alot Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted August 10, 2007 Ashley, I've got the 27" version of that AOC one and it's great. Works really well with the Wii and 360. I think ReZourceman has the 32" one. Well worth it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted August 10, 2007 Hmm well I've seen this one as well: http://www.kelkoo.prcdirect.co.uk/showproduct.php?cda=showproduct&pid=LC32AD5E I should stop looking for TVs as it just gives me more options... It seems that Microdirect don't work weekends, so at least I got a few days to make my mind up. Will probably order that one and get it for Tuesday. That way as well I've only spent £350 on it, can get freeview later and the lead I need to connect my PC to it. Or will my usual monitor cable work? (as it has PC input anyway) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
