Audio Video upgrade advice

M

Mys

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 16, 2011
Messages
187
Reaction score
31
Hi guys,

I need some major upgrade advice because there are a plethora of choices out there and I am so confused about what to get.

I currently have a Sony Wega 74cm that i have been using as a main TV for the last 7 years but am now in a position where i can upgrade to something substantial in the form of a LCD/Plasma. There is a second room in the house and about 18 months ago i bought a 32" HD Ready Samsung LCD for that room - have been quite happy with it.

I also have a PS3 which i use to play some games from time to time but it's primary use has been as a media player (video music and photos). I love my PS3 but i think it sucks at media playback due to its inability to play some of the formats out there. I usually end up loading the media on a stick and watching it on the Samsung (which seems to play everything so far) but i would like to be able to watch media on my main TV if I want.
I also have a fairly good PC which I use to keep the bulk of my media, browse with on the internet and some occasional strategy gaming (also watch a bit of anime)

The audio has been derived from the TV and it has been adequate for now but I also wouldn't mind upgrading this area either

I want to have an environment where all my devices are interconnected so that i can stream my media easily.
This is what I think I need together with some of the choices I have in mind. Have also attached budgets next to each.

40" LCD TV (R7K)
I am not bothered with 3d and 40" is the size that I want. I really like the UA40D5500 as it's a great looking set and fits well within my budget. Was tempted with the 5003 that went on special at Game recently but was very alarmed at the lack of inputs and felt that this could limit the use of the TV. Have also considered plasma but the TV will be used quite a bit in the day and the impression I get is that plasma won't work very well in these circumstances. The other concern is that i have heard that channel logos can get burnt into Plasmas but these may very well be areas that have been addressed with newer models. My only gripe with this TV is that I don't know if I will really use the Smart functionality seeing that I have a PC and a PS3 at home and can use this for my apps, internet use, etc. If SMART TV is not all that it is cracked up to be then the LA40D550 may very well suffice but it may not be as good looking as the UA40D5500

Wifi Router (R1,5K)
Will plug this into my PC so that my media can be streamed wirelessly to PS3 and possibly the TV. I am using a 3g internet connection so a router with 3G may be preferable but I can always leave the PC switched on if I need to.
I have also looked at the powerline networking options (Billion range) but have not seen enough written up about this locally to determine if it's a decent solution. I also would like to integrate my second TV into the system and the powerline option may work quite well in this regard.

Amp with a 2.1 setup for now (R5K)
Would like to invest in a full blown amp and get a 2.1 speaker set up although this may be overkill at this stage. Am also open to looking at the all in one kits for now as i can always move this into a second room at a later stage.

So that's my situation - would appreciate any help/advice/suggestions
 
Sony Wega 74cm
Click to expand...

Geez, those were one on the best!

Once you have your setup ready you may want to try the PS3 media server software (open source freeware) to transcode the formats the PS3/Xbox/TV cannot decode directly. I still use the PS3 as "decoder" as the PS3 is connected to a surround sound system.

As for Amp I would suggest at least a modern 5.1 home theater setup to really enjoy the full effect of the PS3 and HD media. A decent Bluray player may be added to the list unless you are happy with the PS3 as BluRay player.
 
Last edited:
Why not a plasma?

Don't get me wrong - I'm all for LCD and LED, but I don't think that's 100hz .... ?

When I last checked, the difference was fairly large - large enough for me to walk in with intention of getting a 50hz and walk with a 100hz

http://www.samsung.com/au/consumer/...dex.idx?pagetype=prd_detail&tab=specification

More importantly, the UA40D5500's lack of local dimming did not prevent it from delivering a blend of deep blacks and revealing shadow unlike most of its peers. On the flip side, most panning scenes exhibited visible judder as Samsung's Clear Motion Rate 100 technology is not based on 100Hz refresh rate
 
@ wily me
Tell me about it! I know i need to upgrade but i am feeling so bad to let my Wega go! I might very well have to keep it cos nobody would really give me a decent price and i might just end up keeping it as a spare TV

@Dolby
not against plasmas at all - i just have a few concerns as raised in the post. the other thing is i am not sure which retailer to go to to get a decent comparison as the guy in fotocats greenstone was insistent that the UA40D5500 was 100hz and from the posts that i have seen on this forum thus far i know it's not.
 
Oh - I didn't read far enough ... hehe

They say burn in and image retention are a thing of the past. I chatted to my friend that's just bought a PS51D550 and he said he see's nothing. Brightness is a concern though - but if the option is 50hz judder or dim plasma, I'd take the plasma personally.

That said, the review may be nitpicking and things may have changed in the past 2 years, so I'd go see how much judder there actually is.
 
Dolby said:
Oh - I didn't read far enough ... hehe

They say burn in and image retention are a thing of the past. I chatted to my friend that's just bought a PS51D550 and he said he see's nothing. Brightness is a concern though - but if the option is 50hz judder or dim plasma, I'd take the plasma personally.

That said, the review may be nitpicking and things may have changed in the past 2 years, so I'd go see how much judder there actually is.
Click to expand...

Plasma's have improved burn in protection but no ways is it a thing of the past. Burn in is still a factor but with careful use you should be ok. Unfortunately with kids the risk in my opinion was for me to high.
 
wily me said:
Plasma's have improved burn in protection but no ways is it a thing of the past. Burn in is still a factor but with careful use you should be ok. Unfortunately with kids the risk in my opinion was for me to high.
Click to expand...

+1

That's why I sold mine (retention) and the fact I used too many static sources (media, PC, Xbox) and it was a little risky. THe burn in protection IMO isn't worth much and they've had the same anti burn in in decade old plasma screens.

The panel itself has improved - but I also wasn't happy with the risk, no matter how small
 
After receiving lots of advice here I chose the Samsung 42" Plasma - no regrets at all.

Love the punchy brightness.
 
I have a child so plasma may not prove to be the best option in that regard.

With regard to the LED LCD, if the UA40D5500 is not true 100hz whats the next model up that is and any input on the SMART TV functionality?
 
Mys said:
any input on the SMART TV functionality?
Click to expand...
I have the 46D6000 and the SmartTV stuff is moderately interesting, but ultimately not that compelling.

For instance you can watch Youtube videos (inc in 3D), check news with News24 app (similar to iPad ver), use Facebook, Twitter apps & find directions with Google Maps app. If you hack the region, you can get access to Samsung's Explore 3D app with which can stream quite a large library of 3D content (inc full IMAX documentaries).

Probably the best use would be to run the Plex media server client app to stream content from your PC directly to the TV.
 
Last edited:
Probably best to let those with plasmas comment on image retention and burn-in. It should be mentioned that these are two separate things. Excessive retention can lead to burn in, however one should not worry about retention if it is not excessive.

Relatively bright rooms are still fine for plasma, it mainly depends on what the window/direct sun-/light configurations are like.

But regardless, I sense you want a 1080p TV. Most plasmas only start at 1080p at 50". Seeing as you want 40", that rules out FHD plasma. Unless Panasonic are doing 42" 1080p plasmas.

Also consider the UA40D6000 or LG equivalents (mid range opposed to entry level) as they provide a much better picture quality.
 
PostmanPot said:
Probably best to let those with plasmas comment on image retention and burn-in
Click to expand...

I'm sorry - I keep forgetting your rather silly disclaimers :/

PostmanPot said:
Also consider the UA40D6000 or LG equivalents (mid range opposed to entry level) as they provide a much better picture quality.
Click to expand...

Oh - I didn't know you had one of these?
 
Dolby said:
I'm sorry - I keep forgetting your rather silly disclaimers :/
Click to expand...

No image retention on my plasma after 5 day test matches, hours of black bar content, etc.

Oh - I didn't know you had one of these?
Click to expand...

I don't need to own one to advise on those aspects. Completely different to image retention and burn in. If you can't draw a difference then I can't help you.
 
Originally Posted by wily me
Plasma's have improved burn in protection but no ways is it a thing of the past. Burn in is still a factor but with careful use you should be ok. Unfortunately with kids the risk in my opinion was for me to high.

Dolby said:
+1

That's why I sold mine (retention) and the fact I used too many static sources (media, PC, Xbox) and it was a little risky. THe burn in protection IMO isn't worth much and they've had the same anti burn in in decade old plasma screens.

The panel itself has improved - but I also wasn't happy with the risk, no matter how small
Click to expand...

+1
 
Mr_Bee said:
How are u then qualified to give the advice if u have no practical experience, only hear-say from others on the internet I presume?
Click to expand...

I don't need to own a D6000 to tell you it's a good TV.

Do you need to own a Ferrari to tell someone it's a fast car?
 
Not to say that I don't appreciate the healthy debate...

but do you have any further comments on the networking issue and the audio issue?
 
Dolby said:
Postman strikes again ;)
Click to expand...

You cannot work out the difference? Do you know modern plasmas are prone to burn-in like you make it out to be? We are talking normal use here, not abuse.

Let me explain, taking the forum as an example. Samsung 6 Series and up have a track record of being good TVs, with many owners commenting on them in detail. Modern plasma has a track record of burn-in being a non issue (unless abused).

But you wouldn't be able to show me anyone commenting on it.

I hope you can work out the difference now.
 
Mys - I stick by what I said.

Check the motion on the LCD first.

What brand reciever?
You have speakers?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top
Sign up to the MyBroadband newsletter
X