New TV- Lighting issues and conditions

[tomayresss]

Would like a new TV for my room next year.

1) The room I'm going to be in is going to be fairly dimly lit in the sense that there is little natural light coming in - the TV will probably be opposite the window (not directly but almost) and be mainly used in the evenings. So darkish room, yet opposite a window.

2) The next thing is, I'm not sure what the Freeview signal will be like, I have known it to be a little weak in the area, so a good tuner would be necessary.

3) I would like (eventually) to have Freeview HD - is it worth paying for this to be integrated or would it be better to buy seperately?

4) I'm only starting out on blu-rays and will still be watching a lot of SDTV and DVDs so there will probably be more Non-HD usage than HD usage,so good Non-HD quality is imperative.

5) Viewing distance will be about 6ft, perhaps call it 5-8, not sure yet, in a medium sized room, and so I think a max screen size of 32" is a good option.

6) Broad usage like a bit of football but mainly typical tv + film usage.

So what do we think - LCD? LCD/LED? Plasma? Have I got my choice of screen size right?

If anyone can recommend a good aerial too that would be great.

Thanks in anticipation,

Tom =]

 

[tomayresss]

Does no-one have any advice?

 

[professorhat]

With no direct sunlight on the screen and low light conditions, I don't think you're going to need to worry about glare, so I'd say any of the technologies are up for grabs. Don't be led by the technology used within the screen, just go with the screen you think produces the best picture.

At 6ft, the best screen for use with mostly HD material is around 42", when you get to 8ft, 46" is going to be better I'd say. So is this TV expected to last until you really start watching HD material? If so, I think you want to be thinking long term and looking at least 40" personally. You need to nail down your viewing distance really, then try cutting out a bit of card which is the size you're thinking of and see how it looks. If the TV is too small, you'll be kicking yourself later on.

I personally would look to get an inbuilt Freeview HD tuner, unless you spot a bargain on an older, very good TV which doesn't include one. You can always add an external Freeview HD tuner (or even a PVR) to the TV later, but it's useful to have the latest tuner available within the TV as it keeps things simpler and you have less accessories to house on your rack.

As for which TV, given your viewing conditions, I'd recommend getting yourself to a dealer with a proper viewing room who can set the lighting conditions to dim. If you just look on the brightly lit shopfloor of Currys / Comet, you won't be getting an idea of how the TV will actually look in your room and could well regret your purchase when you find it looks nothing like how it looked in the shop.

Worth looking at WHF's UG to Televisions - lots of good advice in there on things you should be thinking of

 

[Anonymous]

just to add to the profs good advice , two tvs stand out for me , the panasonic 42g20 plasma and sony 40ex503 lcd , both have freeview hd , the pana also has freesat .. prices are aruond £750-£850 , both are excellent , the pana being the best plasma in its class , and the sony also getting great reviews ...

 

[strapped for cash]

One further thing to add...

If you're concerned about Freeview reception in the area you live, it might be worth borrowing a box from a family member, friend or neighbour and trying a quick tune at your place to check. If reception's not so great then Freesat is a pretty good option, as coverage does not vary regionally throughout the UK.

When I installed Freesat it eliminated the annoying problems I encountered with intermittent Freeview reception. All of that assumes you don't want to go the subscription route with Sky or Virgin?