Ten... 40-42in net connected HD TVs If you’re looking to get the biggest bang for your thin-screen buck, then the 40-42in TV category is the sweet spot. It’s here that the most competitive price points jostle with bleeding edge features. Almost to a man, our group combines high-performance Freeview HD 1080p screens plus some level of Internet connectivity. These …
That's a large price premium for network (non)connectivity.
Find a larger, or cheaper TV without worrying about network connectivity and pick up a Western Digital WD TV Live Plus 1080p HD Media Player. Then, in 2 years when it's obsolete, ditch it and buy a newer one. Loads cheaper than just ditching your TV and buying a newer one....
The reviewer either ran out of time, or did not have many media types.
Sony TVs support MPEG2 as well as AVCHD videos. Not exactly a stunning range of formats, but certainly better than just the (relatively) obscure AVCHD format.
I use both formats via DLNA on my 37EX403 (essentially the same TV as the 40EX43B, only slightly smaller display and minus the Blu-ray player).
Quite fancy the Toshiba to replace my 3 year old Regza, prices certainly have come down since getting that though.
Also I'm still not tempted by any of the 3d models doesn't appeal to me in the home at all.
Nice write up, good to know the options since I feel an upgrade to my living room contents coming.
Good to see a TV that allows you to turn off the picture and just have the audio.
Normally I wouldn't waste the electricity on listening to Freeview radio on a TV, but with the picture off, it must be comparable to the power used by a stereo system.
(Actually it's a useful feature for a lot of TV, especially documentaries which love to shove pointless images in that do nothing to enhance the audio - Horizon, I'm looking at you).
"Good to see a TV that allows you to turn off the picture and just have the audio.
(Actually it's a useful feature for a lot of TV, especially documentaries which love to shove pointless images in that do nothing to enhance the audio - Horizon, I'm looking at you)."
Or not looking at Horizon, if you take your own advice...
As it devalues very quickly. But I agree with you I don't want to spend that sort of money on bells and whistles that stop working after 6 months. Betamax should tell us something.
Also I'd like to see some kind of longevity rating for the screen types. What will the picture be like in 10 years time? Of course no-one really knows. The technology is evolving all the time. In the same way that no-one really knows how tall a Leylandii hedge can grow as even the first created Hybrids are still growing, no-one knows how these things age.
In the case of a pair of tellies I bought from a certain Korean manufacturer (LE40A656, T220HD) my longevity estimate would be around about 24 months.
For the record the warranty doesn't extend that far, whatever the EU, Trading Standards et al, or indeed my receipt says about it (according to the manufacturer).
As it turns out the root cause was down to some bulging electrolytic caps in the PSUs. I replaced the caps myself rather than pay someone £200 a shot replace the PSU boards with identically broken PSU boards which would fail < 2 years down the line again.
Strangely the T220HD's faulty caps appeared to have already been replaced (judging by the messy joints and burn marks on the board), and the failed caps were a different brand from the others on the board.
I replace every 9 to 10 years as well. I have had 3 large TVs so far in my life and I am nearly 50.
I am also an early adopter.
I ran a first generation Wega IDTV until I got a HDTV.
My HDTV doesn't do Freesat or Freeview HD, just normal Freeview.
My current 46" better last that extra 7 to 8 years!
Only thing I am missing is 3D but I get headaches from that.
I spend a lot rarely rather than less more frequently.
As to Betamax - the only working VCRs I have, happen to have that printed on them, mind you they have only been used for PC video capture since we got our first digital terrestrial PVR (pre Freeview).
Just make sure you have plenty of HDMI ports.
Both Samsungs have iPlayer in their review and not in the chart.
Also, it would be nice to have prices in the chart. The LED Samsung is a lot nicer than the CCFL one, but it's also double the price.
Not being able to play MKVs from your NAS on the Samsung is a failure of your NAS' DLNA config, not the television. I play 1080p movies over the network on a C650 all the time, no recoding.
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