Decide what to buy | the Reevoo.com blog, featuring news on TVs, cameras, laptops, mp3 players & other gadgets, shopping tips and deals, reviews and more

Hi, I came across your site and your video explained alot, I have two questions:
1) What are the best three, value for money (up to £600) easy setup, standard definition, HD ready 37″ LCD televisions?
2) Is 1080p and 33,000 - 1 ratio as important for a 37″ TV as it is for a larger screen TV?

John, 51, NHS worker from Whitley Bay

I’ll tackle your second question first. People debate how important 1080p is for medium size screens like 37″. It partly depends on how close you are sitting to the TV and how good your eyesight is. If you don’t think you’ll be watching a lot of HD content I’d suggest that it’s probably not worth the extra outlay.

Contrast ratio on the other hand is important for all screen sizes, but as I said in the video it’s not the be-all-and-end-all of screen quality, and it’s often an unreliable number, so I would suggest using the ‘image quality’ ratings.

To answer your first question, here’s a link to the top rated TVs in your price range.

I’d suggest taking a look at the Panasonic Th-37PX80B.

It has one of the highest ratings for screen quality in this group, and a couple of the reviews mention good SD quality. You might want to watch out for a relatively low sound quality rating with that model however.

For all round performance at a good price, this Samsung 4 Series also looks like a good choice. One reviewer mentions that the Freeview picture is good.

For a Full HD (1080p) option, take a look at the LG 37LG6000. Not as many reviews, but several of the TVs ranked above it get poor reviews for their SD quality, and this model has a very good picture quality rating so far.

Time for another question from a reader:

I am looking to buy a new tv of around 37 to 40in and I am considering the Panasonic TH-37PX80B or Sony’s KDL 40V4000.

I will be watching standard defintion via Sky+ and DVDs. I do not intend to move to HD for some time.

I watch a lot of sport and I am concerned that the Sony could be subject to motion blur.

The awards in What HiFi have the Panasonic as the best 37in and the Sony as the best 40in.

My problem is which to chose between the tv?

- Paul, 51, Nottinghamshire. (’Man Utd fan’)

The main difference between these TVs, apart from the screen size, is that for ~£100 extra, the Sony is Full HD and has a higher reported contrast - but neither feature is particularly important if you’re planning to watch a lot of sport.

The Sony is also more highly rated than the Panasonic by confirmed purchasers on Reevoo.

A couple of the Sony reviewers did mention that this TV might not be great for watching football, but several of the reviews of the Panasonic mention positively that it doesn’s suffer from motion blur.

For me it would be the Panasonic of those two, but you should also consider the other highly rated 37 inch TV options.

For example this LG 37LG510 gets a good rating for image quality, with no-one reporting motion blur problems, and its even cheaper than the Pana.

Updated 23rd july 2009

At first glance, TV model names are generally pretty complicated, unmemorable and unpronounceable combinations of letters and numbers. To the uninitiated this doesn’t help when you’re trying to find your way around the large television market.

However, closer inspection does often reveal some logic behind the names manufacturers give to their latest gift to the world. Today I’m going to walk through Samsung’s naming conventions.

The first two letters refer to the type of screen - LE for LCD as in this example, UE for LED, or PS for plasma.

The second part of Samsung names is fairly obvious - the two digit number indicates the screen size in inches.

The next letter tells you what ye\r the model was re;eased: B models were released in 2009, A models in 2008.

The first number that comes after this represents the product series.  Here is an outline of the difference between each series:

The next numbers tell you when the model was released.  To use a made-up example, the 600 would be released a few months before the 650, but the 651 mightonly be released a week after the 650.  There can be slight differences in the appearances of models with different numbers in these positions - look at the product features section (on the left hand side of the product page) to check.  These differences tend to be superficial and not affect the performance of the TV.

Sometimes you’ll see a letter at the end of the model number.  This may just refer to the retailer who is selling the TV, but sometimes it can indicate a very small difference in the appearance of the TV, for example, whether the stand is oval or rectangular.

Robert from Cardiff recently got in touch with me to ask the following question:

Can you recommend a 32ins general allrounder? I need good picture quality and a screen that does not give a juddery football. I can spend up to £550.

Great question!

If you wanted to spend right up to your budget, £550 will get you a very nice 32″ TV. For example, this Panasonic TX32LZD80, rated 9.1 out of 10 on Reevoo.

However, you can get a very solid 32″ TV for considerably less, like this Samsung LE32A436T, also rated 9.1/10.

It does get a lower rating for image quality, but ought to be fine for watching sport.

What do you think is the best 32″ TV? Is it worth spending £550 or can you get a good telly for less?

If you’ve got any questions you want answered about anything to do with Home Entertainment, leave a comment below.

Maxine recently got in touch with Reevoo to tell us about her new TV. We thought she might have some interesting advice to share with people in a similar position, so we subjected her to a few questions!

Maxine is a PA from Birmingham.

Thanks for taking the time to help AV Review readers Maxine! What TV have you bought?

Maxine: I’ve researched and researched on the net and in stores and looked at TV upon TV for approximately 8 months, but kept coming back to the Samsung LE37A656A – the LG Scarlet did not compare looks wise – looked tacky and ineffective.

Wow, that’s a long time to be looking for a new TV! Did you know anything about TVs before you started?

Max: I had no idea whatsoever about TVs. Back in the day I never had unlimited access to the World Wide Web or even a car to go from one store to another. When you’re on public transport you want to get on and off as quickly as possible so rarely ventured too far from home. With your own four wheels however, you can go as far as the petrol in the tank can take you and the WWW’s access is unlimited.

I learned about TVs by speaking to people, visiting a lot of stores looking at loads and loads of TVs, but it wasn’t until I really got the internet research bug that I began to really understand what was important for me, what ticked the boxes that made me decide - yeah - this is it the Samsung Rose/Black Series 6 LEA37A656.

What were your reasons for getting a new TV? Did your requirements change as you learnt more about televisions?

Max: I decided on a new TV for 2 reasons. One, I’ve done a massive make-over on my whole house, the lounge in particular had not had a facelift in ages. Two, once I had a colour scheme (black, silver/grey, white with splashes of red) I also found that the TV I had for a while not only did not fit in with the rest of my décor but also needed updating. It was very bulky and took up unnecessary floor space. Besides, the colour tube was on its last legs frittering between green and blue screens whenever it felt like it to the point I got used to it.

My initial requirement was just a flat screen - what do I know? I had an idea on size but wasn’t sure - I had the space but didn’t want overbearing so researched that element too. And I definitely had no clue whether I wanted LCD or Plasma - in fact I’m not ashamed to say I didn’t know the difference. It definitely changed by the time I made that final decision to buy. The specifications were compared against similar models, price was at the forefront as there had to be value for money and the look - very very important. These all became the top key factors on my wish list.

It sounds like you’re very happy with your final choice - do you have any tips for other people who are thinking about getting a new TV?

Max: It’s imperative that we take time out and research research research. Make a list of what is important to you to convince you to buy that item and tick as many boxes on your wish list as is possible - not all will be ticked because we can’t get everything we want, but we can indeed get close to it.

We all have a preferred make or a make we have been using with satisfaction over the years ie. Samsung, Panasonic, LG whatever. Mine’s Samsung. Select your preferred 1st and 2nd choices and produce a ‘wish list’, listing what YOU think (no one else, just you - you’re the one paying for it and have to live with it - furthermore too many people putting in their ten pennies worth can be confusing and you’d end up getting something not fit for your purpose nor suits your personality) are the important factors that you want to ensure are met before you decide to make that purchase - again not all need to be ticked but if you put them in order of importance they’ll be little or no doubts about the purchase.

If, however, both your 1st and 2nd choices meet all or most of your requirements but you still can’t decide on a make and model, get on to one of the comparison websites and compare each against another popular or top make - Samsung Rose/Black 6 Series compared with the LG Scarlet for example. You should be able to make a firm decision from there. Before you press that button though pop back into a store and have a final look at the exact make and model TV you’ve decided on - seeing it in the flesh so to speak and having it demonstrated in front of your eyes is advisable and more convincing. This should then remove or confirm any doubts that may have crept into your mind. Once satisfied don’t ponder any further - click that button and go for it - you’ve done your homework so now follow through to the exciting stage of waiting for it to be delivered and enjoying your purchase.

Thanks, that’s very helpful. Any final thoughts?

Max: Trust me it can get very boring and tedious at times trawling websites, popping in and out of one store after the other, but your hard work will pay off in the end. Making purchases via a website is also easy just make sure the site is secure and reputable. Phone them up if not sure and read the reviews left by other customers both positives and negatives - take the good with the bad but weigh them all up to fit your needs and you’ll find the balance. Happy researching and enjoy your new purchase.

Thanks Maxine, hope you enjoy the new TV!

If you would like to be interviewed for AV Review, drop me a line at tv@reevoo.com, or leave a message in the comments.

Yesterday I put together my top 5 tips to think about before you buy a new LCD or plasma TV. Take a look:

Feel free to post questions or comments below.

After the post last week on the price of brand, where we looked at how much you can expect to pay for a particular brand name, I thought it would be helpful to take a look at how the cost of new TVs varies with screen size.

If you’re just starting to look into buying a new TV, getting a feel for how much screen you can get for your money is an essential first step in working out how much you want or need from a new flatscreen.

The prices come from purchases of televisions in 2008 from Reevoo’s retail partners, so all the data represents real costs from real people. If lots of people are buying a particular expensive TV, even if there are lots of cheap TVs available, the average will reflect what people are actually purchasing, not what retailers and manufacturers are pushing.

So, without further ado, here are are the numbers.

15 inches: £152
19 inches: £238
20 inches: £293
26 inches: £375
32 inches: £465
37 inches: £615
40 inches: £739
42 inches: £754
46 inches: £1,197
50 inches: £947
52 inches: £1,531
58 inches: £2,414

Lots of interesting things to pick out here. The most obvious jump in price is between 42″ and 46″. 4 extra inches of diagonal screen size will cost you over £400! In fact, 46″ TVs, most of which are made by Sony and Samsung, appear to be a pretty bad deal, when you see that the average cost of a 50″ screen is actually lower.

At the smaller sizes, 19″ televisions seem to offer better value than 20″ screens, but really the biggest bang for your buck comes at the most popular screen sizes of 32-42″, where you’ll pay just over £1 for every square inch of screen.

More details on that, for those so inclined, in the graph:

It’s amazing you can pay almost twice the price for each square inch at the smaller and larger sizes than you can in the most popular models.

So, are you nuts to buy a 46″+ screen or a tiny 19″, or do those sizes have enough value to certain people that it’s worth paying a premium for them?

I’ve been looking at the prices you can expect to pay if you buy a TV from the top brands. This will help if you’re shopping for a TV by brand - how much can you expect to pay for a Sony these days?

This data comes from thousands of purchases from Reevoo’s retail partners in 2008.

There’s no suprises at the top and bottom of the table - you can expect to get a Matsui TV for just over £200, while the average price forked out for a Pioneer set is over £1000!

Here’s the full list:

Matsui - £209
Goodmans - £250
Hitachi - £282
Philips - £522
LG - £547
Samsung - £578
Sony - £627
Toshiba - £639
Panasonic - £717
Sharp - £841
Pioneer - £1,258

This list tells us a lot about the screen sizes where manufacturers are selling the most products. For example, Matsui make televisons from 14-42″, with prices ranging from £60-550, but on average people are paying around £200, so I’d be cautious if I was looking at a £500 Matsui - not many people are buying them.

While that’s helpful, it’s also really valuable to look how the average cost for each brand varies within a particular screen size. Here’s how things pan out in 32″ TVs:

Toshiba - £414
Hitachi - £418
Philips - £445
Sharp - £455
LG - £456
Samsung - £458
Sony - £538
Panasonic - £600

Overall the average price paid for a 32″ TV was £465. Within a screen size, you’d expect to pay more for extra features, like 3 or 4 HDMI ports rather than just 2; higher picture or sound quality; or perhaps just to get a shiny logo on the front.

Of the top manufacturers, it’s interesting to see that only Sony and Panasonic sets are selling for above the average price. Although both manufacters produce models available for around £400, they stand out as the premium brands at this screen size.

On the budget end, few manufactuers are selling 32″ for much less than £400, but Hitachi and Toshiba’s low end models are very popular, making them the value-for-money pick of the 32 inchers.

Which brand do you think offers the best value-for-money? Who do you think is just charging for their logo? Share your thoughts with other shoppers.