BEST 32" LED LCD FOR MY MUM

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maccasparks

39 posts

Geek

#103413 6-Jun-2012 20:12

Howdy - my good old mother wants to upgrade her 29"CRT and is happy with nothing larger than a 32" and has assigned me to choose it.
I'm thinking LED (I have a UN40D6600) but not that impressed with sound on the LED Samsungs.I know its the downside of a thin panel and it doesn't worry me as I use Home Theatre for Audio - but do all LED panels have crap sound?
Any suggestions - don't think she needs too many bells and whistle - just good picture and sound and easy to use.
Cheers

cyril7

9058 posts

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#636943 6-Jun-2012 20:41

Hi, you cannot expect premium sound with minimal real estate, laws of physics come into play there and it effects all brands. Other then that, stick to Sony, Samsung, Panasonic and LG (no order is of interest) and you will get best results, but for sound with thin TVs etc dont expect a lot.

Cyril

Dunnersfella

4086 posts

Uber Geek

#636950 6-Jun-2012 20:51

Panasonic TV's from the 2011 range have the best sound... much better than the 2012 TV's.
I was looking for one for our bedroom and it was streets ahead of the rest. To top it off, they had analogue audio outputs.

Radiotron

179 posts

Master Geek

#636954 6-Jun-2012 21:00

stick with the big brands, Sony, Panasonic, Samsung, I sorted a Sony EX520 for the olds as a 2nd TV, they both like it (and they have hearing issues), good bang for buck, AFAIK they are on runout now, so getting a good cash price shouldn't be hard, let us know what you find, cheers

minimoke

750 posts

Ultimate Geek

#637156 7-Jun-2012 09:29

Given its for your good old mum just a couple of other thoughts. Agree - stay with the top brands and buy from a reputable store so she doesn't have hassles should the thing break.

Make sure the remote is easy to use - including large buttons. As the eyesight worstens and hands get shaky those little buttons get to be more of a challenge.

I'd also encourage a simple but good sounding home theater nothing fancy, not even 5.1. But something that can put the audio out into better speakers than that which comes with the TV. Something that can boost the trebles and soften the base will help her hear the speech as her hearing will inevitably deteriorate.

You say she wants 32 inch - but perhaps go for the usual rule of thumb - buy as large as you can afford. A 42 inch isn't realy that big nowadays. Also the teletext will be a bit bigger should she use that.

Don't fixate on LED. For your mum LCD or plasma will do equally as well. Whatever - think about when she watches TV. If she's into day time viewing she will need something that is bright enough. People here might have recomendations but don't rely on the shop demos as your point of reference. I'm biased toward Panasoninc plasma and think you'de need the curtains drawn during the day to make the most of the plasma.

trig42

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#637160 7-Jun-2012 09:34

You could look for a soundbar - a home theatre might be too much.
A Harmony remote might be a good idea too, especially if she has a DVD player or (forbid) a VCR.
I got my parents a Harmony 18 months ago and they haven't looked back, controls DVD player, MyFreeview and TV, no worries and actually works better than the original remotes.

illicit

553 posts

Ultimate Geek

#637294 7-Jun-2012 13:06

minimoke:
Make sure the remote is easy to use - including large buttons. As the eyesight worstens and hands get shaky those little buttons get to be more of a challenge.

x2

LG & Panasonic are easiest to use by far. LG remote has slightly bigger buttons but the Panasonic is the simplest to use.

bfginger

1267 posts

Uber Geek

#637521 7-Jun-2012 21:16

Please tell us if there is a budget.

Would that be a 29" tube 4:3 CRT? They're typically 27" viewable. New TVs are 16:9, so a 32" widescreen is probably going to be smaller in vertical size than the old one.

Alot of late model 29" CRTs sold in NZ are infact HD televisions so if you could tell us the model name I may be able to see if it can be set up to be improved. Most HD CRTs won't give a good picture unless you specifically have a 1080i signal going into them.

If she could accept a 40-42" TV it would give alot more options. Why 32" specifically?

Dunnersfella: Panasonic TV's from the 2011 range have the best sound... much better than the 2012 TV's.
I was looking for one for our bedroom and it was streets ahead of the rest. To top it off, they had analogue audio outputs.

Magness Benrow still has the 2011 Panasonic L32DT30 200Hz IPS LED model listed for $899. The only real downside to that model is the black levels aren't wonderful.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004MME75G/
https://pricespy.co.nz/product.php?p=925719

There was a 37" DT30 available in NZ but retailers had it very overpriced. You might be able to bargain one on clearance at a reasonable price.

Make sure you turn overscan off on whatever LCD she gets as it ruins the picture quality.

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mattwnz

20141 posts

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#637523 7-Jun-2012 21:28

My parents have a 32 inch sony, and the sound is poor compared to their old CRT. I have a 40 inch sony and the sound is far better, as it has larger speakers.

maccasparks

39 posts

Geek

#638067 8-Jun-2012 22:48

The budget is around $600 - she pretty sure that 32" is big enough. The current 29 is an old Phillips of mine running a Freeview box and she had enough of hassles if it gets changed to wrong AV input or other button pushed by mistake.

Cheers for all the good info so far.

mattwnz

20141 posts

Uber Geek

#638073 8-Jun-2012 23:05

maccasparks: The budget is around $600 - she pretty sure that 32" is big enough. The current 29 is an old Phillips? of mine running a Freeview box and she had enough of hassles if it?gets changed to wrong AV input or other button pushed by mistake.

Cheers for all the good info so far.

You can possibily almost get a 40 inch Sony for that, but possibly not LED. I would definitely recommend 40 inches over 32 inches for HD viewing, as full HD on a 32 inch isn't that noticeable.

JimmyH

2886 posts

Uber Geek

#638288 9-Jun-2012 17:11

Pretty much anything mid-range from any of the major manufacturers should fit the bill. Personally, I like Samsung and Panasonic, and think some of the LG sets are good, but avoid Sony like the plague - but that's just personal preference (I detest the company).

Based on having to do a similar purchase for an elderly relative:

1. try and nudge her up from 32" to 37" or 40" if the room is suitable, the cost difference isn't much and it really does make a difference if the eyesight isn't what it used to be

2. a huge endorsement of minimoke's advice - make sure you focus on a good remote that is easy to use. I discovered after the fact that what I regard as simple to use isn't what an elderly relative regards as simple to ue - where even changing the inputs from component to HDMI is a majorly confusing concept.

mattwnz

20141 posts

Uber Geek

#638299 9-Jun-2012 17:51

JimmyH: Pretty much anything mid-range from any of the major manufacturers should fit the bill. Personally, I like Samsung and Panasonic, and think some of the LG sets are good, but avoid Sony like the plague - but that's just personal preference (I detest the company).

Based on having to do a similar purchase for an elderly relative:

1. try and nudge her up from 32" to 37" or 40" if the room is suitable, the cost difference isn't much and it really does make a difference if the eyesight isn't what it used to be

2. a huge endorsement of minimoke's advice - make sure you focus on a good remote that is easy to use. I discovered after the fact that what I regard as simple to use isn't what an elderly relative regards as simple to ue - where even changing the inputs from component to HDMI is a majorly confusing concept.

My parents got a 32 inch as they thought it would be large enough, but they now have a 40 ich, and moved the 32 into the bedroom, as not really big enough for full HD viewing.