Are Sharp, Toshiba good as LG? Is Samsung worth the extra over LG? Priced at £380-390
looking for 39″ or therabouts SMART TV

I can get Sony or Panasonic 32″ for the same money but have been used to a 39″ in the Living Room.

what the STW chat then?

In my view don’t pay the extra for a smart TV, get the best TV you can (Samsung are good) and add the smart features externally using for example your smart phone and a streaming device. I say this as the smart technology changes rapidly and if you pay for it inside the tv you are stuck. I am iPhone/Apple TV but you can go Android/Chromecast (just released in the UK), in fact the Chromecast can run independently very well with a phone/tablet to drive it. Apple TV runs independently but currently for example there is no BBC iPlayer app for it, you need the phone/tablet to drive it.

Have a search on here there are lots of similar threads. Have a look at @sharkbait’s posting history.

Happy shopping.

I got a 50″ LG plasma tv for around £500 and soundbar (£200) for less than I was going to pay for a Samsung Smart TV (£1000). I realised that with Apple TV, I didn’t actually need a Smart TV and 3D capability for home really doesn’t appeal.
I’m happy with the picture quality and would buy LG again.

There’s always the Raspberry Pi running Xbmc for iPlayer, streaming stuff from your home network etc. I run one with the Xbmc remote app on my android phone.

Cheers,
Jamie

Listen to it if you can- without the soundbar on in the shop.

also- ask what their connection is as I was surprised when one place told me they use a special (satelitte?) commercial connector that gives the best possible signal (clarity) that may not be the same when you get it home.

Is this true guys?

There’s always the Raspberry Pi running Xbmc for iPlayer, streaming stuff from your home network etc. I run one with the Xbmc remote app

Unless you can get a v2 AppleTV (you cannot jailbreak a v3 so you miss out on XBMC/iPlayer/etc.), I’d go with the Pi which is more than up for the job. You don’t always need the app – a standard Panasonic TV remote will control the Pi (as will other brands, although a Samsung remote will not).

The smart features are a tricky one. I agree that it all moving and having an external box is more flexible but the built in stuff is generally much easier to use. Samsung seem to be best for smarts but don’t pay too much extra for it just in case.

Our main tele is a Toshiba and its fine. Picture is good and sound is great for built in.

You don’t always need the app – a standard Panasonic TV remote will control the Pi (as will other brands, although a Samsung remote will not).

That’s interesting, we’ve got a Toshiba c.2009. I’ll see what a google drags up.

Cheers,
Jamie

Oh dear like many STW questions it descends quickly into techspeak and stuff I’ve never heard of!

The chromecast thing looks too good to be true! £30, plug it into the back of the TV and Bob’s yer Aunty Mary…is that right? don’t have any apple stuff, from the west of Scotland, suspicous of fruit!

I would be wary of Samsung; I bought one (32″ mind) based on good internet reviews, and it was awful. Virtually unwatchable blue ghosting. Went back to the shop twice, then I traded up to a Panasonic which is simply miles ahead. Will depend on the model though, so I’d recommend trying to view some in the shop. Or go somewhere that has a good exchange policy.

As for smartness… I’d not be fussed either way. Having it is no loss, get the screen you want and don’t worry about whether or not it’s smart would be my advice.

I recently bought one of these and it’s ace. They probably do a bigger version with the same or better features/performance.

http://www.whathifi.com/review/panasonic-tx-l32e6b

Yep, that’s what I ended up with. Smartness isn’t brilliant (no 40D) but the picture is cracking.

You’ll definitely want a soundbar mind.

I saw one of those E series Panasonics and I was quite impressed with it.

Regarding the smart TV thing – the native netflix/lovefilm apps on my Sony (W9) TV seem to do a much better job than watching netflix/lovefilm on my laptop or tablet, or feeding the TV from same with HDMI.

I am not sure why but the TV apps are much smoother (i.e. acceptable) whereas watching on the laptop/tablet or via HDMI feeds are a little jerky, with lovefilm(amazon) being unacceptably so.

Worth checking for.

The chromecast thing looks too good to be true! £30, plug it into the back of the TV and Bob’s yer Aunty Mary…is that right?

That’s my understanding, for £30 it has to be worth a try with your current tv assuming it has an HDMI connector. Then you can decide what tv to buy.

With regard to @flying’s post, I love the smart features such as streaming midweek mini movies to the tv, red bull tv and bbc iPlayer catch up. I hardly watch any “normal broadcast tv” now.