Just how bad are Warehouse TVs?

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alasta

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#656461 16-Jul-2012 13:29

vexxxboy: Harvey Norman is having a huge sale on tv's starting tommorow. eg A LG 32" full hd, usb and hdmi imputs for $598. Toshiba HD 32" for $397, Sony full hd 40" $660 many more

Do you know how long that will go for? I need a 32" or 42" (will probably go with LG), but I can't take delivery until I move house two weeks from today.

JimmyH

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#656607 16-Jul-2012 19:00

Ignore the AVI playback capability of any TV you are looking at, seriously, ignore it.

Implementation of this capability tends to be pretty poor to mediocre, even in good TVs.

Buy the TV you fancy only because it's reasonably priced and is a good TV with a good picture. Then pick up a cheap media player (like the WD Live that Bond & Bond were selling for $95, there are other brands as well). Networkable with USB connectors as well, will power a portable hard drive(s), and fairly bulletproof. Performance of even a cheap and crummy proper media player will likely blow anything away that you will get built into a TV - plus, easily upgradeable/replaceable later if needs and budget change.

EDIT: Need to type more accurately

stuartjmz

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#656983 17-Jul-2012 12:46

Paulthagerous: I think that this is the absolute deal for you:

Samsung, 26 inch, plays off USB (though not sure on formats), $319.20 for the rest of the day. 'Only' a Sereis 4 but more than adequate based on your postings:

http://www.dicksmith.co.nz/product/GE6702/samsung-26-quot-high-definition-lcd-tv

Perfect for you IMO :)

That is a good deal, thanks. The Q&A on that link tipped me off to something I'd never given any thought to: Someone asked if it had Freeview built in and a staffer replied "yes, it will work with terrestrial aerials, not satellite dishes" - when shopping around, what do I look for to tell me which type a TV works with?

trig42

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#656989 17-Jul-2012 12:52

stuartjmz:
Paulthagerous: I think that this is the absolute deal for you:

Samsung, 26 inch, plays off USB (though not sure on formats), $319.20 for the rest of the day. 'Only' a Sereis 4 but more than adequate based on your postings:

http://www.dicksmith.co.nz/product/GE6702/samsung-26-quot-high-definition-lcd-tv

Perfect for you IMO :)

That is a good deal, thanks. The Q&A on that link tipped me off to something I'd never given any thought to: Someone asked if it had Freeview built in and a staffer replied "yes, it will work with terrestrial aerials, not satellite dishes" - when shopping around, what do I look for to tell me which type a TV works with?

No TVs in NZ work directly off Satellite - you will need a Set Top Box for Satellite Freeview.

stuartjmz

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#656992 17-Jul-2012 12:54

trig42
No TVs in NZ work directly off Satellite - you will need a Set Top Box for Satellite Freeview.

Great, thanks, that makes it nice and easy.

nickrout

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#661307 24-Jul-2012 20:53

JimmyH: Ignore the AVI playback capability of any TV you are looking at, seriously, ignore it.

Implementation of this capability tends to be pretty poor to mediocre, even in good TVs.

Buy the TV you fancy only because it's reasonably priced and is a good TV with a good picture. Then pick up a cheap media player (like the WD Live that Bond & Bond were selling for $95, there are other brands as well). Networkable with USB connectors as well, will power a portable hard drive(s), and fairly bulletproof. Performance of even a cheap and crummy proper media player will likely blow anything away that you will get built into a TV - plus, easily upgradeable/replaceable later if needs and budget change.

EDIT: Need to type more accurately

You are soo damn right! I prefer a media PC attached, but the WD players have good rep too. Can get the WD live and it has wired ethernet buit in.

Do not rely on wireless for HD video.

richms

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#661330 24-Jul-2012 21:32

A big con with inbuilt media player is you cant pause it and flip inputs to see whats on tv or if you have a camera whos at the door. The app exits and you have to restart playback from the ui after re navigating to the media.

Also you cant split the output of the player and the options for getting multichannel audio out are basically optical only as the ARC has only ever done stereo or bitstreamed ac3 on the ones I have seen in action..

Richard rich.ms

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Jaxson

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#661854 25-Jul-2012 16:17

A bit off topic but I just saw this Warehouse advert for a TV, saying "Watch the Games in Full HD."

This made me laugh as you can't see the Olympics in HD here in NZ unless you pay the $10 HD ticket from SKY on top of the $15 a month for the HD capable MySky recorder. The TV is not sufficient itself to see the Olympics in HD as Prime is not HD on either freeview platform....

Jaxson

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#661933 25-Jul-2012 18:16

Actually, come to think of it, we've gone backwards here. The last Olympics were 4 years ago and were shown on TV1 in HD (720p at the time) and with Dolby surround sound.

This year they are on Prime, in SD and in stereo only.

mattwnz

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#661934 25-Jul-2012 18:18

Jaxson: Actually, come to think of it, we've gone backwards here. The last Olympics were 4 years ago and were shown on TV1 in HD (720p at the time) and with Dolby surround sound.

This year they are on Prime, in SD and in stereo only.

Yeap, sad state of affairs. So much for for freeview. I guess if it was rugby there would have been an outcry.

richms

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#662779 27-Jul-2012 09:48

Jaxson:

A bit off topic but I just saw this Warehouse advert for a TV, saying "Watch the Games in Full HD."

This made me laugh as you can't see the Olympics in HD here in NZ unless you pay the $10 HD ticket from SKY on top of the $15 a month for the HD capable MySky recorder. The TV is not sufficient itself to see the Olympics in HD as Prime is not HD on either freeview platform....

They didn't refer to any particular games.

Richard rich.ms

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#808117 30-Apr-2013 17:11

Perhaps answering the question in the subject "Just how bad are Warehouse TVs": Warehouse Veon 46" recall.

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