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LG 32LG7000
by AdamRoxby
When looking for a television plan that encompasses competitive price, features and statics you won't go far wrong with LG. While it may not be the first name that comes to mind, I think you should get more recognition. This particular product has a clean gloss black exterior and a beautifully thin profile. It is easy to get overwhelmed ... with features when buying a television especially considering that most manufacturers use their own proprietary name for functions and features that they share in common. Form practical standpoint, this television has great overall quality as well as a few surprises. I love the ability to plug in a USB stick and play music and videos which have been downloaded from my computer. The power saving features are innovative. One such example is when you're playing music from your USB stick you can switch off the screen to save power.
Looking further, the image quality is fantastic with it's full HD 1080p resolution but beyond what you can see from the 'Technical Details' I can tell you that there is no inbuilt tuner so it relies completely on it's inputs which may be to limiting for some. There is the conventional antenna input, 2 RGB inputs (for things like the Wii console), 2 HDI/DVI inputs (for Sky HD etc) and 2 PC inputs. What is a slight issue is that there is only one SCART input. Despite having an HD TV I only have non-HD content for the most part. So that means I have a Sky box and a DVD player fighting for the one SCART port and the solutions can be far from perfect. I have found that if you opt for the cheaper SCART splitters you can suffer a 'humming' sound.
On the subject of sound, it is very good out of the box. There is the option to have optical digital audio out but I haven't felt the need and have frequently used the music player and USB stick instead of a CD player in the living room.
Researching televisions can be a daunting task but this one gets a firm recommendation despite some of it's shortfalls.
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Toshiba 32BV801B
by angelboouk
Toshiba 32BV801B
This Toshiba LCD television is 32inches and HD ready. It has built in Freeview and requires an aerial cable to make use of this. The television features 3 HDMI sockets and 1 scart socket for connecting other electronic devices. It also has a socket for connecting headphones and the screen may be used as a ... computer screen.
The television weighs 12.300kg and comes with a desktop TV stand though it can be wall mounted. The screen is a 16:9 widescreen format and a 1920x1080 pixel resolution.Sound is transmitted by a Nicam stereo.
The television comes with a long, sleek remote control (2 x AAA batteries required). The remote control is fairly standard and offers the usual choices including volume, subtitles, numbers and various channel buttons to make full use of the Freeview options. The Freeview offers various standard channels (as on any set top box ie E4, ITV, Film 4 etc) and there is the option to browse a 7day programme guide.
~Price~
*Comet - £299.00
*www.amazon.co.uk - £279.99
~Our Thoughts~
Last year, my fiance decided to save up vouchers for a new television for our bedroom. The old one was a huge, bulky thing and a total eyesore (quite like the one we currently have in our livingroom) and he wanted a newer, sleeker one. When the vouchers arrived last November, he hurried over to Comet with his brother and arrived home with this Toshiba 32BV801B.
~Set Up and Sit Down!~
I had no choice in the matter as the main reason for purchase was for him to play his Xbox on! The boys arrived home and quickly disposed of the rather large box and secure packaging. I quite like the design of this LCD. I don't like anything being wall mounted but to have the option is good. The television is black and has a sleeky, shiny frame which attracts finger prints exceptionally easily. The back of the LCD isn't too bulky and the whole television sits comfortably on our unit. The addition of the stand allows the television to be steady and not vibrate around if someone bangs a door or thumps on the wooden flooring.
Setting up the television is simple. Once placed onto our choosen surface, it was a matter of plugging the reasonable lengthed wire into the extension. The television doesn't have proper buttons and at first I struggled to locate them at all! There is a cluster of markings for AV, volume, channel and on/off control in a corner and these are activitated by simply pressing the frame. It is a little fiddly if I'm being honest.
I appreciate that the area for plugging in scart cables, wires and other connectors is located at the back of the television. This section is out of sight and keeps everything that bit tidier so no obvious wires are poking out. We have the Xbox connected to the television via an HDMI cable and this is very easy to do. DVD players or video recorders can be hooked up with ease. Setting up the Freeview required us to connect an aerial which we already had. The Freeview is easy to tune in using the remote control and takes less than 10 minutes to be fully up and running. There are plenty of outputs for wires down the back of the television and overall, the set up is very simply to do. A manual was provided but we have never needed to consult it.
~High Definition Even In Bed!~
This is the first high definition television we have owned. Not being technical minded, I can only assume the specifications are decent enough but perhaps not the best given the price range. I'm sure there are much better televisions out there but my fiance and his brother decided this one suited our needs. Once the on button is selected, there is a slight delay in the television switching on and being fully ready to use.
Our main use for this television is playing the Xbox. The speakers are of an excellent quality and transmit clear, consistent noise. This is great as the Xbox's whirring used to overpower the noise from our last television. The screen quality is brilliant in my opinion. My fiance plays lots of football games and compared to a non HD television, there is more realism as the picture is so clear. I like playing role play and silly games which have bright colours in them. The screen enhances the colours and gives clarity to every game.
Whilst we have the Freeview set up on the television, we rarely make use of it to be honest. We have Freeview in our living room and I usually watch my soaps on that. The Freeview aspect is easy to work thanks to the well appointed remote control (which hasn't required new batteries as of yet). I can quickly skim through the programme section and see what is on or coming on soon. It is basic but the picture quality makes for better viewing.
I personally love watching movies on this television and take full advantage of it on a Saturday night when my fiance goes out to his friends. We have SkyPlayer through the Xbox 360 and I can watch various films. The television itself, can rotate on the stand by around 178degrees. This allows me to comfortably swivel it to view in bed without the stability of the television being interupted. Watching films is on this television is enjoyable as I can hear and see everything that is going on and I certainly prefer the HD screen for this purpose as our living room television doesn't have the same impact.
The brightness, volume etc is easy to adjust on the television and can be adjusted to suit your needs. The remote control is easy to use and has never missed when pointing towards the television. The base does gather dust but is easy to wipe clean and I do this regularly. It is worth noting that the television has a 1080P screen resolution for HD and can be hooked up to Playstation 3 and Blu-Ray players to benefit from a better picture.
~Conclusion~
My fiance paid around the £350 mark for this television a year ago. The current selling price is brilliant as you do get a decent quality television. Perhaps the 32inch would be too small for larger living rooms but if you want something that looks sleek but isn't going to be overbearing, this is a good choice.It looks good in our bedroom and doesn't feel too heavy if it needs to be moved. I can do this myself without help which is more than can be said for that brick in the living room!
Our television is used daily and has never let us down. I cannot find any faults with this Toshiba television and therefore it receives a 5 star recommendation from myself and from the Xbox addict.
Thanks for reading x
*For clarification, this television does not have internet connection access. The screen CAN be used as a PC monitor by connecting your computer tower to the television via the sockets. I do not have a PC so have no need to do this. I have reviewed the television like a television just as everyone else does. Thanks
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