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Before you post a question or buy that new TV, some tips so you have a good buying experience. Read this to unravel the marketing hype and forget the specs. Use your EYES!
Forget about asking "is this a good deal?" YOU HAVE PAID UP! Does it matter??
Take time to run in the panel and avoid static images in the initial 100-200 hours.
A perenial question which is pretty simply to answer if you follow the steps:
- WHAT CAN YOU AFFORD
-- if you are on a budget, why look at premium sets and whine about how low value they are, or why they cost so much more
-- get a set which meets your check book balance, be it a 26" or a 50". There is a TV for your needs from a supermarket OEM to a fancy top of the line flatscreen
- BUY WHAT YOU SEE IS BETTER
-- or Buy The set that gives you the best picture quality for your money. If you think there is no difference between brand A and B, buy the cheaper set
- BUY THE TYPE WHICH SUITS YOUR NEEDS
-- if you are a gamer the LCD may suit you better than a plasma
- DON'T COMPARE AFTER YOU BUY
-- it always gets cheaper
- if you are still sitting on your hands and waiting to buy in one years' time, why look now and field questions on price (not knowledge) and make comments on price, quality etc when you are not really buying?
- SEE THAT PANEL IN IDEAL CONDITIONS
-- when comparing, make sure you bring your DVD, or see that channel you want and compare with the settings on both sets in similar conditions
- IF THE SALESMAN DOESN'T WANT TO CHANGE THE SETTINGS WALK OUT
- IF THE SALESMAN GIVES YOU NONSENSE WALK OUT
-- if all he does is diss your choice of TV and quote specs (esp wrong ones) go somewhere else, its your money
- FORGET THOSE SPECS AND SEE THE PANEL!!
-- if the famed panel doesn't look good, don't buy
- ARE YOU SURE YOU NEED FULL HD?
-- if you buy a tiny 32" or even a modest 42" why get 1080p unless you are using it with a Hi Def source AND sitting within 2m, AND DO NOT watch free to air TV
-- that full HD panel may make SD TV or free to air TV look worse --> CRAP IN CRAP OUT
-- unless you invest in good cables and partner it with a decent DVD or Hi Def source, don't bother with full HD. Using some cheesy red white yellow cable and pretending it is a component cable does not count as Hi Def. Save until you are ready to enjoy the full experience. In the mean time, get something more affordable and wait for prices to drop
- DON'T BE GREEDY FOR THE CHEESY FREEBIES
-- buy the tv for its qualities, not the silly little freebies which you need to ask, do you need them
-- why use that tiny HITB with an expensive panel, then wonder why it does not feel like the real cinematic experience
- DON'T BE CHEAPO, BUY THE BEST PANEL YOU CAN AFFORD
-- this panel will be with you for a long while (if you got a good set) so if you save pennies and end up with a cheapo set with lots of features but a lousy panel, you will be looking at it for a long time.
- IT WILL ALWAYS GET CHEAPER, BETTER AND BIGGER
-- so after you buy, sit back and enjoy!
Great article on buying TVs:
http://www.smh.com.au/news/digital-...1227980024593.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1
- Look carefully at your budget firstly and see what your aim is, PC, SD TV, Hi Def or what kind of mixture?
- How big is your room? Then see the viewing distance thread for the ideal size
- number of inputs needed
- Do you need HD - is HD ready enough or full HD - see your viewing diet and how far away do you sit
- Avoid relying on specs - those dynamic contrast ratios mean nothing - use your eyes
- showrooms tend to be very bright and use slow moving images which tend to make LCDs look better
- If a TV cost less and has a long list of features, beware that the quality is compromised - there is a reason why the better ones cost more
- Are you buying old tech - there may be a reason why it is on sale - old technology or run out models may not be a bad thing, but you should check
- does it really handle 24 fps or convert it poorly into 50 or 60Hz
- can your TV do motion well - and does it matter to you
- how do the controls handle
- do you need a TV right now - we have IT fairs 4 times a year. No hurry no fuss if you do not need one right away
- Unless you are using the panel 24 / 7 and leave it on constantly there are better reasons to choose between a LCD and a plasma
- how long and how good is the warranty?
- is there delivery and how long does it take
- read the thread on dead pixels
- read the thread on wall mounting
- read the thread on settings / menus etc
Forget about asking "is this a good deal?" YOU HAVE PAID UP! Does it matter??
Take time to run in the panel and avoid static images in the initial 100-200 hours.
A perenial question which is pretty simply to answer if you follow the steps:
- WHAT CAN YOU AFFORD
-- if you are on a budget, why look at premium sets and whine about how low value they are, or why they cost so much more
-- get a set which meets your check book balance, be it a 26" or a 50". There is a TV for your needs from a supermarket OEM to a fancy top of the line flatscreen
- BUY WHAT YOU SEE IS BETTER
-- or Buy The set that gives you the best picture quality for your money. If you think there is no difference between brand A and B, buy the cheaper set
- BUY THE TYPE WHICH SUITS YOUR NEEDS
-- if you are a gamer the LCD may suit you better than a plasma
- DON'T COMPARE AFTER YOU BUY
-- it always gets cheaper
- if you are still sitting on your hands and waiting to buy in one years' time, why look now and field questions on price (not knowledge) and make comments on price, quality etc when you are not really buying?
- SEE THAT PANEL IN IDEAL CONDITIONS
-- when comparing, make sure you bring your DVD, or see that channel you want and compare with the settings on both sets in similar conditions
- IF THE SALESMAN DOESN'T WANT TO CHANGE THE SETTINGS WALK OUT
- IF THE SALESMAN GIVES YOU NONSENSE WALK OUT
-- if all he does is diss your choice of TV and quote specs (esp wrong ones) go somewhere else, its your money
- FORGET THOSE SPECS AND SEE THE PANEL!!
-- if the famed panel doesn't look good, don't buy
- ARE YOU SURE YOU NEED FULL HD?
-- if you buy a tiny 32" or even a modest 42" why get 1080p unless you are using it with a Hi Def source AND sitting within 2m, AND DO NOT watch free to air TV
-- that full HD panel may make SD TV or free to air TV look worse --> CRAP IN CRAP OUT
-- unless you invest in good cables and partner it with a decent DVD or Hi Def source, don't bother with full HD. Using some cheesy red white yellow cable and pretending it is a component cable does not count as Hi Def. Save until you are ready to enjoy the full experience. In the mean time, get something more affordable and wait for prices to drop
- DON'T BE GREEDY FOR THE CHEESY FREEBIES
-- buy the tv for its qualities, not the silly little freebies which you need to ask, do you need them
-- why use that tiny HITB with an expensive panel, then wonder why it does not feel like the real cinematic experience
- DON'T BE CHEAPO, BUY THE BEST PANEL YOU CAN AFFORD
-- this panel will be with you for a long while (if you got a good set) so if you save pennies and end up with a cheapo set with lots of features but a lousy panel, you will be looking at it for a long time.
- IT WILL ALWAYS GET CHEAPER, BETTER AND BIGGER
-- so after you buy, sit back and enjoy!
Great article on buying TVs:
http://www.smh.com.au/news/digital-...1227980024593.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1
Television makers throw around a lot of impressive numbers when spruiking their latest wares. Resolutions, response times and refresh rates are always improving, plus impressive contrast and brightness ratings are bandied about. Televisions are also getting bigger, with 70-inch flat-panel giants now appearing in the stores.
If you're looking for the best picture, then a 1920x1080p screen with 100Hz refresh rate and 4millisecond response time is a good place to start, but buying a high-definition television isn't just a numbers game. You can tick all the boxes on your spec sheet wish-list, but the truth is that none of these figures guarantee that one television is better than another. When it comes to choosing a great television, quality is in the eye of the beholder.
Big screens are great for showing off high-definition content, but they also magnify any imperfections in the image. This is when you rely on a high-quality panel and great video processing to give you the best possible picture; it's the secret sauce when it comes to televisions. In other words, it's not the size of your pixels that counts, it's what you do with them.When sitting in a store, televisions often have the brightness and contrast pumped right up to make them look better. They're also often playing animated movies, such as Pixar's Toy Story, which lack the fine details that let you distinguish the good televisions from the bad.
The torture test for any television is fast-moving sport or a Hollywood action scene. Watch for jerky movement and jagged lines, especially when the camera is panning. Look for motion blur, flicker fuzziness, or "noise" - especially in the background during a car chase. Also check to see how deep the blacks are and whether you can still see fine details in the shadows.
Fast-moving AFL or cricket is a great way to test a television. Is the ball the right shape? Can you read the signs on the boundary and see the fine details in the crowd? Does the grass blur into a sea of green? Do the players' shirts remain sharp in long shots of the play? Try flicking between standard and high-definition broadcasts to see how well the television handles a less-than-perfect picture.
Don't be afraid to take your time and come back to the store more than once. And don't hesitate to change the channel or ask to watch different content. After a while you'll see the qualities of the better televisions shine through. If the shop assistant is unwilling to let you see how the television performs under different conditions, take your business elsewhere.
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