advice on a TV

[DNT]

Not really Hi-Fi question, so mods, feel free to delete if not appropriate.

The time has come to replace our 25-year-old Philips 17" TV (the only TV in the house)!! Obviously not being big TV people we do not want a gigantic plasma or even a 32" LCD. I think 26" is the largest I will be "allowed" to bring into the house. Until recently I would have gone to Alliance Electric in George's Street as Mark and the others there really know their stuff. Alas I believe they are gone. Any ideas on a brand/general advice on a 26" TV or even a suggestion of a shop where the people may be able to discuss the issues in a reasonable way?

Questions arise like:

Do I need HD?
What resolutions/other features should I insist on?
Does it have Audio out?
What is the sound quality of the actual TV like?

I have narrowed it down to Panasonic/Sony/Samsung/LG but have no idea if I am just being influenced by sales talk.

Any experiences/ideas gratefully accepted.


Denis

[Ivor]

I'd suggest asking that question over the Boards.ie TV forum where most of the guys know their stuff. Adam from Alliance Electric (yeah... I miss them too) often pops up there as "Big Moe". He's actually a member here too but somewhat dormant!

You can learn a lot from a casual stroll around Harvey Norman's or Power City but decide what you want first. You have a good idea of size so now it's just format. I don't think you can get plasma that small anymore but in my opinion LED is looking good these days. You might as well get a 1080p resolution TV as blu-ray players are so cheap but the 720p HD TVs are fine too and significantly cheaper if you're not bothered about blu-ray. Any of the brands you mentioned are fine but Sony has a different way of presenting colours (maybe it's just me?) which is not to everyone's taste. Take your time.... sur' you'll have it for 25 years ;)

[DNT]

Thanks for the helpful advice, Ivor.
I will try Boards.ie as you suggest.

Denis

[Sydneyk]

Hi DNT,
I know someone in London that does mods on AV gear, and he should have useful info for you, maybe let me know if you want to get in touch with him.
Syd

[james]

RTE will [eventually] move to only digital TV so its a good idea to get a TV with a built in digital tuner. The standard used in UK is different to the one RTE is using so if you get a TV with a digital tuner make sure it will work here. I have a Sony from a few years back with a digital tuner but it will not work with RTE ...

Also, the shape of the TV screen is different which makes it a bit harder to compare sizes. If you are looking at screens in a shop measure the top to bottom distance [not the diagonal] and compare this with the similar measurement on your current TV.

James

[fergus]

All that I can offer Denis is that I have both a Panasonic (Plasma) and a Samsung (LCD) for some time now and as Brands both have stood the test of time, neither having given a moment's trouble (touch wood!).