Topic: The best LCD TV right now in the Philippines?..

[xpenz]

Hi, I was wondering what is the best LCD TV right now in the Philippines market with regards to Picture quality, design isn't that important to me since iam not very particular with the physical aesthetic nature of the TVs, all i want is the very best in picture quality so i would enjoy viewing HD very much. Iam thingking of 37-42 inch LCD TV with a budget of 200-500k. Could you pls recommend one and state your personal reason why this is the best for you may it be technical or just a simple personal reason. Because iam planning to buy one and want to get familiar with the very good LCD products that is available in our country right now; so i can compare them each and make my final decision later. Thank you, i would really appreciate your opinions and advices.

[Funky_Monkey]

IMHO, the samsung deal is pretty much unbeatable now.  P250k for the 46inch LCD TV with free 20inch LCD TV or D820 phone.  Pwede pang 0% installment. 

[Funky_Monkey]

http://news.com.com/Samsung,+Sony+join+forces+on+LCDs/2100-1041_3-5171753.html

[xpenz]

thats good advise mate funky monkey thanks, but why are they selling that low? hows the quality?.. and how does it compare to other top of the line LCD products?.. Is this really the best right now in terms of quality or the best promo price? Thanks again

[ricky]

Bro for that budget you might want to check out the SHARP aquos, I think Sharp is the leader in LCD technology but is too pricey

[xpenz]

thanks mate ricky ill try to check out sharp aquos too. maybe its too pricey for a right reason, or maybe just been overpriced.  How bout sony? is there no one would recommend this all time best selling electronic brand in our country? In general, they are very good and very reliable with their old generation TVs, in fact our very old Sony TV is still with us for more than 10years up until now and the color is still very good. But with LCD, i don't know how far they've gone with regards to the quality or how are they doing against advance LCD brand makers such as what you've recommended which is sharp. 

[ricky]

Yes bro they are reliable back then Sony is still good right now but i think a lot of our fellow members has encountered different problems concerning built quality and after sales service (not that efficient anymore) so they're starting to avoid the brand right now. And also its too expensive compared to SAMSUNG which has the same quality(maybe better at times) Value for money better get the samsung,with your budget might as well get the biggest SAMSUNG LCD you can afford the bigger the better

[xpenz]

37"- 42 inches is enough for me mate. I can't push it bigger than that due to the limited room space i have. So what i was hoping is to buy one of the best if not the best LCD TV in terms of quality with taht limited size i can get. So, most probably samsung or sharp, some of my frineds also recommended pioneer. hmm ill check that out too.   

[Clondalkin]

With a budget of 500K, fly to Tokyo or the US and buy the full spec LCD HD panel (2M pixel) Sharp 45V.  You can't find this model in the local market yet.  Kaya nga ng budget mo hanggang 57V na full spec HD panel.  If you want to get the biggest Sharp 65V, your 500K would just suffice but you need extra money for travel expenses and excess weight fees.  Sharp commands close to 50% of the uber quality-conscious Japanese market, if you really are looking for the very best at the moment.   Japanese don't buy Samsung (but they buy Samsung-paneled Sony), but Samsung is quite popular in the rest of the world.

Big question is, how do you plan to enjoy HD in the Philippines???

[Philander]

These may help:

http://www.digitalhome.com.au/news?article=/LCD_and_Plasma_TV/W8G6J4F7
http://www.lcdtvbuyingguide.com/



Given that price range, I will find LCD TV that is capable of 1080p.
Like Sharp Aquos: http://www.engadget.com/2005/09/20/sharps-new-range-of-1080p-aquos-lcd-tvs/ (I dont know if these are available here).

Samsung as well: http://www.electronicexpress.com/product?prod_id=9859


If we dont have 1080p-capable LCD here right now, I think it's good to wait first.

Thank you.

[av_phile1]

Sharp is the world leader in LCD manufacture and OEMs for a number of brands.  Samsung OEMs for Sony Bravia and other brands too.  In many internet sites, Sharp, Sony, Samsung, Hitachi and Panasonic offer the best LCD sets with sharp aquos either almost always at number one or has many models at the top 10. 

http://tv.about.com/od/toppicks/tp/lcdmanufacturer.htm

I'd limit my choices to Sony Bravia and Sharp Aquos models if price is no object.  Some Samsung models offer better value if only because of its cheaper price tags for the same size and feature set.  Whichever, just make sure it can upsample to 1080p and has HDMI 1.1 jack.  Better still and priceir if it can accept 1080p input and has HDMI 1.3.

[Philander]

Thanks for the HDMI 1.3 thing av_phile, ngayon ko lang yan nabasa... and checking web about HDMI 1.3, I found this:


What's HDMI 1.3?
The new HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) standard which TVs and other devices need for HD (High Definition) TV and disc formats.  If you have an HDMI connection on your TV it should look like this (HDMI 1.3 will look the same as the current HDMI 1.1):

What can it do?
It raises the data-carrying bandwidth of a normal HDMI cable from 165MHz to 340MHz which offers potential for greatly improved picture and sound.

Is it just TVs that will be affected?
Nope, AV receivers and DVD players may get it too, and there's potential for portable devices and camcorders, as well as PCs to raise their game via HDMI 1.3.

When will HDMI 1.3 start to appear?
The first HDMI 1.3 device is strongly rumoured to be the Sony PS3 games console, which has been promised for November 2006.

Will standard HDMI gear work with HDMI 1.3-equipped kit?
Yes, but you won't be able to access HDMI 1.3's potentially superior picture and sound capabilities, as well as features like lip sync correction


More here: http://www.avreview.co.uk/news/article/mps/UAN/791/v/1/sp/

Bilis talaga ng technology. Hahaha

[xpenz]

@clondalkin

thanks i'd love your advise but can't stand the hassle of going to japan.    as ive said earlier i can only go as big as 42" of size due to limited room size i have.

@Philander
excellent info about LCD with your links, so the secret of why sharp aquos is just plain expensive is because they are all 1080p ready, problem is there is no 1080p media available yet in our country and even in downloads it gets very rare. That samsung link you pasted is quite amazing 6000:1 contrast ratio rocks. But i don't think its available in our countrys market. 

@AV_Phile1
very very nice link to the top 5 best current LCD right now. so i guess sharp is truly the leading lcd brand right now. However, the 1080p spec thing is not very attractive as of now due to the reason of availability in the market. 

[av_phile1]

HDMI 1.3 is indeed the way to go for future-proofing your AV set-up.  Ofcourse it's downwards compatible, but that means that if you don't have HDMI 1.3, then you're in the "downwards" mode.  

With regards picture quality transmision, defintely HDMI 1.3 has the edge, though I am not sure you can discern the quality between a 24-bit color depth and a 32-bit color depth.  Perhaps screens with 50" above will show the difference.

Not even the new HD-DVD players from Toshiba has HDMI 1.3  And I don't see HD players coming out with one in the next 6 months.  And even if they do, the software is not up to par.  Very few receivers if at all will sport the new standard until next year.  That's because most DolbyTrueHD and DTS-HD audio track processing is done in the player side, being output as multichannel 5.1 LPCM via HDMI 1.1 and the result is already head and shoulders over current DTS and DD formats.  It's essentially like having DVD-A for your audio tracks.  And content makers still won't allow the lossless High defintion audio tracks to output from the players.  

So take heart, the new HD displays and players already look gorgeous with HDMI 1.1 on most 36" LCD displays - definitely above the best that SDTV DVDs on the finest players and displays upsampled using progressive scan can deliver.  Give HDMI 1.3 another 2 years for the software to take advantage of it high bandwidth.  That means current non-HDMI1.3 equipped displays will be good for another 2 years.  

[av_phile1]

However, the 1080p spec thing is not very attractive as of now due to the reason of availability in the market. 

Maybe not today with standard DVDs.  But you really won't max out HD display resolution if you won't be using HD-DVD or Blu ray players that will be available to the world next year (already available in a Toshiba and Samsung player in the US.)  And there are already about 200 titles at this time. Double by Christmas.  These titles are already encoded at 1080p (compared to 480i for standard DVD). The HD players will output them at 1080i via HDMI 1.1 and if your display cannot at least upsample at 1080p, you won't be realizing the beauty of High Definition. 

[Philander]

@Philander
excellent info about LCD with your links, so the secret of why sharp aquos is just plain expensive is because they are all 1080p ready, problem is there is no 1080p media available yet in our country and even in downloads it gets very rare. That samsung link you pasted is quite amazing 6000:1 contrast ratio rocks. But i don't think its available in our countrys market. 

The thing is you can upscale ANY source/media to 1080p. Though 1080p media players are not yet available, you can use your PC to ouptput 1080p and of course your LCD is "future-proof" (for a mean time, hahahha).

[av_phile1]

iam planning to buy one and want to get familiar with the very good LCD products that is available in our country right now; so i can compare them each and make my final decision later.

Visit any Abenson or SM appliance shop at MOA, Greenbelt and Glorieta to check out the LCD displays from Aquos and Bravia.  Also the Sony showrooms. (Don't know if there are Sharp Showrooms)   BUT refrain from asking the sales guys any technical or comparative questions, they hardly know their products.  Instead, read what you can from internet sites by googling on the subject. Also visit AV forums to learn more.  If you want to max out HD with some future-proofing on the side, definitely 1080p capable displays with HDMI jack is the minimum. 

[Philander]

Well for LCD showrooms. I suggest check the following:

The Listening and Style-  5th level Shangrila (best place I think and most personnel are knowlegable)
Automatic Center - Glorietta 4 - 3rd level
Avant - Greenbelt 3 second level or sa WalterMart PasongTamo/Pasay Road.
Ansons Makati

Forget SMs Appliaces stores, hehhhe

[Clondalkin]

@clondalkin

thanks i'd love your advise but can't stand the hassle of going to japan.    as ive said earlier i can only go as big as 42" of size due to limited room size i have.

Note that Sharp does not manufacture 40 or 42V LCDs.  After 37V, the next bigger size is 45V.   Sumisingit singit ng in-between size and Sony (40V) as a marketing strategy against the highly rated and top selling 37Vs of Sharp - now if that is not an admission of Sharp's superiority in LCD technology, I don't know what it is.  There is no better way to compare the best models than by seeing them side by side all day and as close as  you want...come to Tokyo and I'll guide you personally.  You'll see with your own eyes the differences (even subtle ones) in PQ that cannot be clearly described in words.   Who knows, baka yung mas murang model ang pinakamaganda sa mata mo.    Who knows baka mas magustuhan mo ang Toshiba or Hitachi or even Panasonic.  With your 500K budget, you can purchase 3 sets of the full HD spec (1920 x 1080) 37V Sharp Aquos in Tokyo (he he he) and watch them as close as 1.4 meters at home...but the thing is, you get to appreciate more the merits of full HD panel if you get the bigger 45V or 57V or 65V...ang kahit nagyayabang ang Sharp na you can watch at such a close distance, I wouldn't recommend that to you and your family - got to protect your eyes.

Still my question is, how do you expect to enjoy HD in the Philippines??

[av_phile1]

ang kahit nagyayabang ang Sharp na you can watch at such a close distance, I wouldn't recommend that to you and your family - got to protect your eyes.

No such thing when watching non-interlaced non-flickering displays like LCDs. I've tried watching a 42" Bravia at the sony showroom here at less than a meter for almost 15 minutes and i could go on for hours without eyestrain.  That is really one of the reason for HDTV, watching up close, and seeing the details without beng bothered by those visible aperture lines and refresh flickers and not getting eyestrain.  You can actually position a 42" LCD on the wall on one side of a 2m x 2m room with the sofa on the other end and enjoy really big screen experience.  But only with HD materials.

Still my question is, how do you expect to enjoy HD in the Philippines??

With an HD-DVD or Blu Ray player.  OR with PS3 games.   And if you're rich enough, you can subscribe to an HD satellite cable which I heard is available but quite pricey.   

[Philander]

Still my question is, how do you expect to enjoy HD in the Philippines??

Well aside from upscaling DVD, HDDVD, & BluRay players, then HTPC and PS3

Try the HD broadcast: http://pinoydvd.com/board/index.php?topic=17015.0

Just prepare $$$$ (or lots of Php) and enjoy, hhehehehe

[Clondalkin]

No such thing when watching non-interlaced non-flickering displays like LCDs. I've tried watching a 42" Bravia at the sony showroom here at less than a meter for almost 15 minutes and i could go on for hours without eyestrain.  That is really the reason for HDTV, watching up close, and seeing the details without beng bothered by those visible aperture lines and refresh flickers and not getting eyestrain.  You can actually position a 42" LCD on the wall on one side of a 3m x 3m room with the sofa on the other end and enjoy really big screen experience. 

With an HD-DVD or Blu Ray player.  OR with PS3 games.   And if you're rich enough, you can subscribe to an HD satellite cable which I heard is available but quite pricey.   

I watch Japanese HD broadcast daily on a 37-inch Sharp GD6 (not full HD panel but it's eye popping - even though some of the contents aren't so interesting sometimes) from about 5 to 6 feet and play X360 on it..and I'm getting headaches and all sorts of not so good symptoms if I stay on (especially with the 360).  Probably my age (turned 40 this year) and my transition to far-sightedness...15 minutes at close range ok...usual watching hours at close range...potential health hazard for middle aged men (he he)...my solution..blink my eye intentionally or simply stretch...Sharp's claim on minimum 1.4-meter watching distance is to emphasize the resolution of their panel, and that large-sized TVs should fit well inside Japanese tiny living rooms or bedrooms.

[av_phile1]

Sharp's claim on minimum 1.4-meter watching distance is to emphasize the resolution of their panel, and that large-sized TVs should fit well inside Japanese tiny living rooms or bedrooms.

Japan actually started earlier than the West with regards HDTV.  It was really prompted with most Japs having really small rooms in the city.  And while they wanted those 36" direct view CRTs and rear-view projection TVs, there's just no room to put them in.  So with flat panel displays they can have large screens on the walls of their small rooms in small apartments.   

[Clondalkin]

Well aside from upscaling DVD, HDDVD, & BluRay players, then HTPC and PS3

Try the HD broadcast: http://pinoydvd.com/board/index.php?topic=17015.0

Just prepare $$$$ (or lots of Php) and enjoy, hhehehehe

If you're used to actual HD broadcast, upscaling DVD is quite a step backward, but if you have a real huge panel (especially those projection types), you probably need one.  Personally, I still prefer watching DVDs on my HD-ready 32-inch CRT than on my 37V HD LCD.  HD-DVD and Blu-Ray Discs have the potential and should fit within Xpenz' budget.  PS3 should be ok..pretty amazed with 360 already even though it maxes at 720p only (and the games developers haven't even tapped the full potential of the 360).  Local HD broadcast subscription...I didn't know that...well if you can afford 500K on a TV, why not.  

[xpenz]

@AV_Phile
Great! thanks for the technical info about the HDmi 1.3 didn't know bout this stuff. Just this night my girlfriend and i happen to pass by on abenson in mall of asia after watching a movie. I saw sharp aquos displayed in front of their store, a whooping 65inch for a price of 1.25m. The quality is awesome, I also checked their lower size 37" since 45" isn't availble that time, also Iam not sure if it's that great because maybe they were playing some crappy dvd movie on it at that time. While on the otherhand, when we went deeper in the store, my gf got wowed when she saw toshiba, and she said this is better than aquos, this is what you should buy and its cheaper too. Hmm i said to myself maybe they are just playing an hd movie to impress customers. also bravia,samsung and ila brand they we're all looking good and sharp. I wasn't able to scrutinize more because my gf was in a hurry as usual. So next time ill bring some HD and dvd samples so i can compare which of these brands is really pleasing to my eyes, and maybe stay a couple of hours for proper visual adjustment and familiarity.

@Philander
Thank you very much about the info on PC capable of upscaling any media into 1080p, iam now researching bout it. i guess powerdvd will do the job and some compatible codecs too. Also this week ill try to visit those showrooms you've stated earlier. Because i would also inquire bout soundproofing my AV room, most like they can help me out since they are more knowledgeable out there as you've said earlier. So thanks again.

@Clondalkin
Thanks mate, iam now leaning more on 37" - 45" sharp,  hmm but ill still check out bravia,samsung and others. well as for my budget, i really didn't know LCD right now isn't that pricey anymore because last time i checked, maybe last 3-4years it's really expensive pa. So iam shocked to know the price has actually dropped drastically, and the review says it will continue to drop as the technology expands, well that's good for me, the extra money will be spent on home theater and soundproofing of my room which is important too, i guess. 

[bayonic]

it's out of your budget but just for giggles , the best LCDTV available for sale right now in the Philippines that I have seen is the 65 inch Sharp unit on display at Avant Greenbelt.

they do have a 45 inch unit that falls within your budget.

both sets have 1920X1080 resolution.

[ricky]

xpenz if i may suggest since technology is improving continuously you might want to just buy the most practical unit available(maybe the samsung,hitachi or toshiba) and just wait for the 1080p to stabilize(price goes down) before getting it. Anyways if you decide to buy the samsung unit you can always sell it if ever you decide to upgrade again after a yr or 2,im sure dami pang kukuha ng unit mo

[xpenz]

@ricky

Yes mate ricky samsung is also a good option due to practicality reason good advice and iam also considering that. Titingnan ko muna how much the room treatment will cost me and i will decide from there.

[ricky]

Saving money is not bad mate since you can spend it buying other gears to match your new LCD

[tambutsoo]

ok po ba ang Toshiba 42LX196  42" Cinema Seies® 1080p HD LCD TV?