Question:
Looking to buy an integrated digital TV (Philips) am I right in thinking that this type of TV will pick up the digital channels without the need for a set top box.
Answers:
Indeed it will if you are in a freeview covered area.
Check your postcode on .
It will also have a common interface slot so you can subscribe to top up tv if you so wish.
Ben
Answers:
Thanks Ben, this is for my Mum and I do not want to get it wrong. Her area is compatible.
Answers:
Might be worth checking if the TV can be used to record one digital channel while you watch another digital channel. I think most (all?) digital TVs have only one digital tuner so you can only record the channel you are watching - although I think you can watch one of the five *analogue* channels while you are recording a digital channel.
Otherwise you'd have to buy a separate freeview box to record from.
Answers:
you may also need a better ariel, even if the postcode area is capable of receiving digital tv your mum may need to upgrade her ariel esp if it is old
Answers:
Current recommendation is not to buy IDTV as a separate STB will give you more flexibility. As well as recording programmes, you need to look at the EPG and see if it suits you. This is much easier with a separate STB, which are getting very cheap nowadays.
Answers:
current recommendation of who? and why is a STB 'more' flexible?
Answers:
current recommendation of who? and why is a STB 'more' flexible?
HiFi magazines, consumer magazines and technology websites.
Separate STB is more flexible because you can replace one without the other or upgrade STB to a PVR without changing TVs or get a better replacement TV/STB and give the old one to the kids/grandparents/friend.
The difference in cost is negligible, so why constrain yourself?
Answers:
Separate STB is more flexible because you can replace one without the other or upgrade STB to a PVR without changing TVs or get a better replacement TV/STB
With an iDTV there's nothing to stop you adding a new STB or PVR without changing TV's, in exactly the same way as you can with a non-iDTV.
As you say though, it would be a little less flexible if you wanted to upgrade *just* the TV.
Stompa
Answers:
With an iDTV there's nothing to stop you adding a new STB or PVR without changing TV's, in exactly the same way as you can with a non-iDTV.
Agreed - but when reviews of cheaper IDTVs say the digital element isn't ideal, why pay extra for IDTV if you might bypass it? It's still early days, so the "best" design hasn't been designed yet...
Answers:
Agreed - but when reviews of cheaper IDTVs say the digital element isn't ideal, why pay extra for IDTV if you might bypass it? It's still early days, so the "best" design hasn't been designed yet...
so Phillips (and evidently Panasonic/Sony et al) are now cheaper IDTV's?
having just looked at homecinema website reviews they tend to get similar reviews. How much exactly is the difference between a non -IDTV and it's equivalent IDTV model. And I also assume you have some personal experience to back up your assumptions rather than completely gathered from magazines?
Answers:
Agreed - but when reviews of cheaper IDTVs say the digital element isn't ideal, why pay extra for IDTV if you might bypass it? It's still early days, so the "best" design hasn't been designed yet...
Fair enough. Is the digital part of a cheap iDTV typically any worse than a cheap STB though?
Stompa
Answers:
Indeed I have a integrated lcd tv with freeview and analogue tuners, and also have a twin tuner pvr and it give me so much more options particularly if there 3 programs on at once or overlap I find it great for times when there begger all on tv.
Answers:
Nothing wrong with the current crop of IDTVs, the set-top box technology has reached a level of maturity now where any box/integrated receiver performs reasonably well with full EPG/interactive, decent speed and stability etc.
However, look at it this way. An IDTV costs around £100 more than a TV without the digital tuner. For that £100 you can get an STB with hard drive built in, which is far more flexible than a simple DTT receiver built-in which isn't even an ideal solution for recording to video/DVDR (recording a DTT channel when the TV is off is impossible)
Answers:
I looked at getting an IDTV, but at my end of the market (aka cheaper), the reviews weren't that good. I don't have personal experience of buying a cheap IDTV - that's why I read reviews If I'd wanted to spend more on a Sony/Panasonic, the cost difference is smaller.
In the end, I went for a more expensive Topfield PVR with 160Gb HDD (~80 hours recording) which you can customise using 3rd party add-ons. It means I can totally configure my STB to be better than Sky+ (IMHO) while still not splashing out on IDTV.
I'm now waiting for HDTV to settle down before I buy again...
Answers:
In the case of my Samsung HDTV with Freeview ths cost was only about £30 more than the one with the analogue tuner, however I got two tuners, one analogue and one Freeview. Its worth paying the extra as long as it isn't much more, the tuner is built-in less circuitry, less connections outside, and I actually get a very slightly better picture than my Humax pvr.
Answers:
WOW, I did not reckon on getting so much information. The aerial is at least 25 years old, no problems receiving all analogue channels. No too bothered about recording because my Mum reckons there is so much rubbish on the box in anycase. I have bought her a DVD player so she can watch all the films we buy. Always rented for the past 35+ odd years, so at very long last looking at the Phillips 32" PW6720D.
Answers:
No too bothered about recording because my Mum reckons there is so much rubbish on the box in anycase.
Just wait 'til she gets freeview, then. She'll have more rubbish than she knows how to cope with!! ;-}
Answers:
Sounds like you could do with a new areail tbh and new cabling as the sun can corrode the outer cabling and let water in and effects picture quality.
If you live close to the mast you dont need an expensive wide band aerial either but the further you are from thetransmitter the better ariel you may need.