Page 1 of 32" widescreen nicam TV - any recommendations!

Hello all!

I`ve just bought my first house and the first thing I want to get for it is a decent 32" widescreen nicam TV and eventually build up a home cinema. However, my girlfriend isn`t quite so enthusiastic and so my budget limit for the TV is around £600! Does anyone have any recommendations for this price range? I notice that Curry`s are selling the Panasonic TX32DK1 for £599.99 delivered. Does anyone have any experience of this set? Or know where it can be bought even cheaper? Or would anyone recommend any other sets? I notice that you can get Sanyo, Samsung and Thomson 32" sets for around £100 less, but presumably the Panasonic would be worth the extra? I am a newbie to the world of home cinema and would greatly appreciate any advice!

Thanks

Jon

Shop around and try to get any of the Philips models. They offer the best picture and sound around. Avoid Sony! Terrible sound-very tinny

I have that Panasonic, and have been really pleased with it. I have a feeling it is kind of discontinued now, so doubt you`ll be able to shop around much on it. Obviously not a full flat screen, it has a great picture. The only think I don`t like about it is when you mute it, the "mute" icon remains on screen at all times, so when watching a DVD through the amp etc, you have to turn the sound down, rather than mute it. A very insignificant niggle.
Alternatively, as Big Man suggests, have a look at a Philips. You can get the 32PW6006 without cabinet (and choose you own from Ikea!) for £500 inc delivery from http://www.unbeatable.co.uk (search for "6006" for the full range).

I was in your position recently - I bought the Philips 32PW6515 at £799.99. I`m really pleased with it (it`s basically the same as the 32PW6006, but with a totally flat-screen). One of the main things I like about the Philips models is that they have a "continuous" Zoom function - ie. you can make the picture gradually get bigger - and just get rid of the black bars on terrestrial tv broadcasts, without chopping off a lot of the picture! I think philips is the only make that does this!!?

I also looked at that Panasonic model, but was told it was out of stock and now discontinued. So, if you don`t mind not having a flat-screen, I`d definately go for the Philips 6006.

CHEERS!

Thanks to evryone who has replied to my posting so far - you all speak highly of Phillips, so I`ll think seriously in that direction I think! Thanks again

Jon

We got a 32" widescreen from Comet a couple of weeks ago, as a warranty replacement for the Bush 32" we got last year. The Bush had a minor picture adjustment fault, but apparently they don`t repair them, you just get a swap. But they no longer do that model so we had to pick another one, and this one seems better specced too.

The Bush had a good picture, (Phillips tube), but this one we have now is really good. It`s a Goodmans 32" widescreen (Thomson tube) and I can`t fault it, really good pic, lots of settings to play around with, and £399 to buy, the same as the Bush was.

It`s not pure flat (not much of a curve though), but to be honest, you don`t notice the difference when you`re sat at a normal distance from it. I can`t fault the picture quality at all, and you can have your own colour/brightness presets set up on it too for different ambient lighting conditions.

Details here:
http://www.comet.co.uk/comet/html/cache/297_806587.html

Two scart sockets, one is RGB enabled. PAL/NTSC compatible, NICAM, Spacial effect, graphic equaliser for sound, if you are just going to use the TV speakers, plus more...

Mark.

If you can get in to Makro, they often have Goodmans or similar 32" ws for £299 plus VAT. One this I`d recommend you make sure of is that the set you choose offers auto format switching, so you don`t have to fiddle with the aspect ratio every time a 4:3 broadcast appears.

Both the sets I mentioned above do that, but I prefer to leave it set to 16:9 all the time. I`d rather watch the few things that are in 4:3 in widescreen, with a bit of a stretched picture, than have the large black bars down the sides.

It`s surprising how little is still in 4:3 now though, most programs are in widescreen, even Corrie and Brookie :-)

Mark.