new tv for around £300

[admin_exported]

I was looking for a new tv for around that price. would it be worth waiting till the january sales or get something on a christmas discount?

i want as big a screen as possible ( no less than 26"), i'd like it to be lcd or plasma and HD ready, does anybody know any particular models that will suit my needs?

Cheers

 

[Clare Newsome]

Prices seem to be holding up in the week ahead of Christmas, but January sales may be fruitful for you.

HOWEVER - you are operating at the very extreme entry-level price for flatscreens of this size, where there is far more rubbish than reasonable in terms of picture quality - there is a lot of absolute cr*p at this end of the market, and please promise us you won't get seduced by a big screen from a no-name brand that seems to offer the earth (highly unlikely).

Some suggestions, however: the LG 26LC55 - a 26in LCD which got a solid four stars in our December issue - is available for under £350, as here.

If you can save just a few more pounds, you could also get the Toshiba 32C3030DB - a cracking 32in LCD available for £418 at Dixons if you type the code Gimme5 for an extra 5 percent off at checkout.

Hope this helps, and happy bargain-hunting.

 

[Anonymous]

I can only mirror what Clare has said.

I like you only had a small budget but wanted a decent LCD tv. I bought a Sanyo 32" LCD TV for about £400 about six months ago.

When watching DVD's and playing XBOX 360 the picture quality is better than a standard tv but when watching sky the picture was better on the CRT.

Spending just a few hundred pounds more will make the veiwing experience so much better. My Dad has a 42" Sony plasma i'm not sure which model but the picture is so much better.

Colours are more vibrant and the contrast ratio is so much better.

I am now saving hard for a decent 42" tv which i should of bought in the first place.

I'm no expert on anything like this but i now know the difference between a cheap rubbish TV and a half decent one.

Just tuck your £300 under the mattress and keep saving for a bit longer you'll thank yourself for it.

Go into Comet and look at the cheap 152 LCD's then look at the expensive big screens with the same video on and you'll see what i mean about the picture difference.

Mark

 

[matthewpiano]

I think at this end of the market LG is the way to go. I use a 26" LG LCD in the bedroom and, although not comparable to my 32" Sony, its certainly a very good set for what it cost me. Build quality is good too - MUCH better than the unknown brands and the myriad names of Alba Industries (Goodmans, Alba, Bush, Grundig, Hinari etc.). I'd say that, at this end of the market, LG are better than Sony. The latter's entry-level U series is not up to usual Bravia standards. My first LCD was a Bush and it was a really poor purchase so, as Claire and Mark have already said, be very cautious at this end of the market.

 

[Anonymous]

hi i was after the same thing a month ago and was wary of non brand tvs. How ever a mate of mine brought a 32" hansspree on ebuyer for 299 delivered with a two year gaurntee. I thought it would be rubbish but it looks neat hd is great on 360 and even freeview lokks ok. No built in freeview so a box is needed but you can get a sagem box for 14.99 which what hifi gave a good review. The sound isnt great nor are the black levels but how good dose it need to be in the bed room. my mate has wall mounted his and it looks great. I may take the plunge after crimbo.

We could do with an ultra budget review in what hifi as we are not all made of money. Especially after splashing out in the lounge.

 

[Clare Newsome]

We always try and include as big a price-range of TVs as possible - our Buyer's Guide shows that - including the ultra-budget sets.

It's also why we had different price-categories in our Awards, not simply giving gongs to the very best sets, regardless.

FYI, at the other size end of the market, we've just completed a 50in TV Supertest that's deliberately picked to be the price level below the class-dominating Pioneer Kuros.

 

[Andy Clough]

And just to reinforce what Clare said, the Ultimate Guides to Digital TV include reviews of budget flatscreens from as little as £150 from brands such as Computer Supermarket, Acer, Daewoo, DMTech, Viewsonic and Bush/Goodmans. We don't just focus on the premium makes.