TV(42-50) and Home Theatre - Budget 1L

[prabu]

Hi,

I have been reading the threads for a month now as I am planning to buy TV /home theatre setup in a month's time.

Living room size - 17ft * 11ft
TV Viewing distance - 9ft
Budget - 1Lakh (for TV, speakers, AV Receiver, woofer - I already own Sony BDP S370)
TV Size - 42''-50''
3D Required - No
Speaker System Type - 5.1
Full HD - Yes
USB Input - Yes
HDMI Inputs - Atleast 3
Plasma/LCD/LED - I am quite confused on this area, I have seen few TV's at outlets and the one that catches my eyes are LCD/LED as they are brighter and sharper. Plasma seems to be a bit gloomy to me.
Room Lighting - Has a window, so I would say that the room is well lit and appears bright.
TV Usage - Would be used by my parents for watching Movies, TV programmes including video songs both during day and night.
Speaker Type Preferred - Room is not big (excluding dining area it is 120 sq ft), so not sure whether bigger speakers are required. Also if there are good quality small speakers out there and if there is a cost advantage, I would get them from UK.
Internet Connectivity - As my blu ray player can connect to the net, I am not specific about this feature in the TV

I am looking to set up the home theatre at Chennai but currently I reside at London, so if the cost is competitive out here at UK, I am planning to carry the speakers/receiver/woofer from UK but would buy the TV at Chennai.

Looking at the forum threads, seems like most of the members prefer P42V20D, but I did audition P50V20B and I found the LCD/LED TV's to be more brighter and sharp. Though I didn't test for Blacks and motion blur.

I have head about home theatre setup but I am getting confused with the wide options.

Please can anyone help me decide on the TV/Home theater setup?

 

[just4kix]

TV: If you prefer LCD/LED that is fine. A 40-42" Full-HD LCD will cost at the minimum around 48k; same size LED will be higher and minimum decent one will be 68-70k. I personally prefer plasma becuase of its high black levels and natural colours. In my opionion, LCD/LED colours are too vivid.

HT: After spending over half of your budget on TV, you leave very little for a high end AVR+speakers. If you are too constrained at this point on the budget, I will suggest something like an HTIB from companies such as Onkyo or Denon. In particular Onkyo HT-S5300 comes to mind. It should be available around 28-30K.

 

[prabu]

Thanks for the replt just4kix.

If I wanna go for plasma, is P42V20D the best choice or are there any other good competitors for this piece? (think so the cost wouldn't cross 60k here)
Can you also recommend any good 42'' LCD (not LED) within 60k budget?

When I was checking the forum posts, I found good reviews for Denon 1911. It would cost around 18k (250) at UK in which case I can shell out around 25k for the 5.1 speaker system.
Does this sound like a plan?

Just to clarify, the setup would be used by my parents who spend most of the time watching TV programmes, movies and video songs(broadcasted in TV).
I am not sure whether Denon 1911 would be a good pick in this case? Any advice on other good AVR's?
Also can anyone suggest good 5.1 speaker systems so that I can audition them?

 

[just4kix]

Television:
By all means, go for LCD/LED if that appeals more to you. One should choose what one feels right for self - not because others say something different.

LCD models: You could go for:
- Samsung LA40D550K1R (MRP 52K)
- LG 42LK450 (MRP 56k)
- Sony KDL-40BX400 (MRP 57K)

By hard bargaining, you could knock off as much as 10k or more from the MRP.

If you choose plasma, no doubt the Panny 42V20D is the best. It is around 60K. But Panasonic has also released the U30 series. The 42U30D is "slightly inferior" to the V20 but the lower specs are such that only a true videophile will notice it. The price for U30 is not announced as yet but should be around 48k.

Denon 1911
That is a good price you are getting. In India the MRP is 46k. How will you get it to India? Checked in baggage will be horribly expensive. So consider this also.

Speakers for Denon 1911
For 25k you will not get good enough speakers to match the AVR. At the minimum, Energy Take Classic 5.1 will cost you 36k.

Whether Denon AVR+spks will be the right choice
In my opinion, if your parents are going to be the main audience and TV/Hindi-Regional movies/Songs is going to be the main souce, Denon (or any other AVR) + spk will be an overkill.

 

[TaureanBull]

Thanks for the replt just4kix.

If I wanna go for plasma, is P42V20D the best choice or are there any other good competitors for this piece? (think so the cost wouldn't cross 60k here)
Can you also recommend any good 42'' LCD (not LED) within 60k budget?

When I was checking the forum posts, I found good reviews for Denon 1911. It would cost around 18k (250) at UK in which case I can shell out around 25k for the 5.1 speaker system. Does this sound like a plan?

P42V20D is an excellent Plasma.

I am not sure whats your source for Denon from UK. If you plan shipping then it would be very costly. If someone is getting for you then he would have to avoid import taxes to maintain that price.

In case you manage to get at that price, this one sounds like a plan.

As said before 1911 may be overkill. 1311 (which in India would cost you 18k grey market) would suffice you needs well.

 

[prabu]

Thanks for the replt just4kix and TaureanBull.

I did have a look at the 42'' and 50'' models, to be honest 50'' plasmas look awesome. If I extend my budget upto 75k, Are there any good 50'' Plasmas which I can afford?

@TaurenBull - I reside at UK, so was planning to get the speakers/amp during my visit to India as part of my check in baggage, think so they would fit into the luggage bag. I wont be carrying anything else, so if the combined weight of speakers/woofer and the amp are less than 30kgs, it would do as part of my check in baggage.

@just4kix - You are right. My parents would mostly be watching regional programs and they might watch 4-5 movies every week. They would also listen to video songs often. But since they don't prefer cinema theatres, I thought, better they experience it at home while watching blue rays and dvd's. I am not sure whether Denon 1911 along with the speakers would be a pain while watching regional programs. While watching those programs, should I ask them to switch off the rear speakers or the entire speaker setup or will it be ok to have it turned on?

I would stick to 1911 as long at it provides a good cinematic experience(also future proofing) as I am not sure of an upgrade for the next 4-5 yrs.
Think so I can also get decent speakers within 300 (around 23k INR).
I was looking at these
Boston Acoustics XS
BOSTON ACOUSTICS SOUNDWARE XS 5.1 SPEAKER SYSTEM Black: Amazon.co.uk: Electronics
JAMO A102 HCS5 New Jamo A102 HCS6 Home Cinema Speaker System - Black: Amazon.co.uk: Electronics
TANNOY EFX5.1 Tannoy SFX5.1 Silver | 5.1 Speaker Package | Richer Sounds
Mission Cube Mission M Cube :: AV Speaker Packs :: Speakers :: Sight and Sound UK
(these wont fit in my budget unless I compromise the AVR)
Not able to find Energy Take Classic 5.1 in UK, which means I wouldn't be able to audition it.

Does any of these sound like a good pick or can you add your picks to these?
Once I have some idea of what separates I am looking for, I might start auditioning them from next week onwards.

 

[just4kix]

@prabu, You can get an excellent 50" plasma for 75k. The Panasonic 50U30D should be less than 70K while the new Samsung 51" PS51D550 is being quoted at 75k before discount.

Denon 1911 should sound good with a good speaker system. I was asking you to differ on that because your budget is low. You can always buy the sound system later when you have money (say after a year or two) rather than make a half hearted attempt now.

 

[prabu]

@just4kix - Thanks once again.

May I know, what would be the minimum budget required for a decent 5.1 home theater setup(speakers/woofer/amp) ?

Think so you mean to say Denon 1911 is a good pick, correct me if I'm wrong?

So regarding the speakers(considering that I can increase the budget to a certain extent), may I know which 5.1 speaker system would be a good pick (if you disregard Energy Take Classic, as I'm not able to find it in UK stores) ? I am only looking for a good setup(not a high end one), as I'm a beginner in this area.

 

[Calvin]

I am not sure whether Denon 1911 along with the speakers would be a pain while watching regional programs. While watching those programs, should I ask them to switch off the rear speakers or the entire speaker setup or will it be ok to have it turned on?

You can use HDMI passthrough option in Denon 1911 which passes the audio to TV, while 1911 is in standby.

Think so you mean to say Denon 1911 is a good pick, correct me if I'm wrong?

If you are satisfied with 5.1 and no upscaling, you can get 1611 and save some money for speakers.

 

[prabu]

@Calvin - Thanks for the info. Seems like I need not worry about turning off the setup while watching regional programmes then.

I might upgrade to 7.1 in the future, thats also a reason behind going for 1911 considering that its quite cheap in UK.

For a decent 5.1 speaker system, any idea about the minimum cost involved?
Does any of the speaker systems I have mentioned above make sense?
I would be happy if you guys could advice on the ones specified by me and add in some of your picks.

 

[just4kix]

@just4kix - Thanks once again.

May I know, what would be the minimum budget required for a decent 5.1 home theater setup(speakers/woofer/amp) ?

Think so you mean to say Denon 1911 is a good pick, correct me if I'm wrong?

So regarding the speakers(considering that I can increase the budget to a certain extent), may I know which 5.1 speaker system would be a good pick (if you disregard Energy Take Classic, as I'm not able to find it in UK stores) ? I am only looking for a good setup(not a high end one), as I'm a beginner in this area.

You can get a very decent speaker system from 30k to 50k such as:

- Paradigm CT110 5.1 - MRP around Rs. 50,000.
- Polk Audio RM 6750 - MRP around Rs. 30,000.

And if you are even better inclined, you can get Wharfedale Diamond 10 series for about 65K.

These are India prices. Check in UK.

 

[prabu]

@just4kix - Thanks.

What do you think about the speakers I've posted earlier? Are they any good at all, just wanted to know whether they are worth auditioning?

 

[just4kix]

All are good speaker systems especially the Mission M Cubes. But one should listen in before deciding. Never go on specs alone.

 

[Calvin]

For a decent 5.1 speaker system, any idea about the minimum cost involved?
Does any of the speaker systems I have mentioned above make sense?

Try to audition those speakers and decide. Have seen good reviews for Jamo and Tannoy packages you mentioned in other forums.

If you want bookshelves, the cost would be at least INR 40K for a decent 5.1 package.

 

[prabu]

I did audition few setups in the last few days.

Checked out large number of TV's at UK stores, PS51D550 looks good but was also dimmer. I didn't play with the settings yet, need to do that next time. Also the screen was quite reflective, since I am looking for a TV in a well lit room, I need to be bit careful here. Also when I read reviews in other websites, there were talks about the reflection on the screen in a well lit room.

My parents did check out the TV stores in Chennai(Anna Nagar), seems like the salesperson weren't recommending the Plasma TV's, they were more inclined towards the LED ones.

Regarding the speakers, I have auditioned Kef 1005, Jamo 102 HCS6, Bose AcousticMass 6 and Boston Acoustics 6 with Denon 911 and Onkyo AVR's. To be honest I was impressed with Jamo.
Still I need to audition few more speaker setups. Would post my views once I am done with the process.

The complex part here is the TV auditioning, the model numbers in UK and India don't match up and also a few models don't exist in India, so seems like this is gonna be tricky for me.
Seems like the budget I have specified also would play a role, so probably I need to up my budget further.
So if I am looking for 46-50 inch TV's(LED and Plasma),
can you guys suggest me good TV models(LED and Plasma) in the price range of 50k-1L (appr)?
I will try to audition those models in UK, then will ask my parents to check the same model in Chennai and if we are satisfied, will purchase the same from Chennai.

 

[prabu]

Checked out PS51D550 and to be honest, the screen is very reflective. Would not recommend this TV unless the room is quite dark.
LG plasma's were also reflective, Samsung plasmas were good but Panasonic GT30 and VT30 were best.

Panasonic TV's are not that reflective, but LED's seems to be bright and crisp. Also D series Samsung LED's, especially D7000 and D8000 look stunning.

I have now settled for a open budget, as I started looking at
3D
Refresh rate of atleast 100Hz
4 HDMI ports
46'' LED
Full HD

Samsung 46D7000 is gorgeous, looks stunning, has plethora of features, less reflective but too heavy on price.
I found 46D6100 and 46D6530(at UK) quite attractive both in price and features, but not sure what is their Indian equivalent.
My parents said that they found 46D6000 and 46D6600 in the showrooms, but not sure whether they are same as 46D6100 and 46D6530.

Sony LED's are ok, but seems like EX720 has a refresh rate of 100Hz and I found the Samsung LED's better than Sony in terms of PQ and colour.
Haven't checked out LG Cinema series yet. That's the next thing on my list.

Regarding home theatre, Denon 1911 wins over Yamaha 467 from my perspective. Jamo A102 HCS6 was impressive and also the Harmon kardon 5.1 system. Haven't checked out Tannoy yet, once this is done, I'll wind up the home theatre purchase.

Prices:
46D6000 - 106k
46D6600 - 125k
46D7000 - 152k
without bargaining at Chennai.

 

[prabu]

Thank you guys. Hifi Purchase done finally.

I've got the Jamo A102 HCS6 with Denon 1911 and it rocks .. very happy with the purchase ...

Also the speakers are tiny, looks good too along with being cost effective.

Probably will go for 46D6600, but haven't finalized yet.

 

[vdpandit]

HI Prabhu,
congratulations, pls tell me the price for the same, ASAP


(and the review also may be later)

thank u and rgds

 

[fedexp]

just my two cents:

1) Do not buy a high-end TV in any series by any vendor - (for instance, I purchased, LG 42LD650 for 60k almost a year ago : the deciding factors were the warm color tones of LG compared to its competition, LG's netcast applications - internet readiness of the TV, dual USB ports - all the bells and whistles. They had a entry level 42 inch in the same LD series which did not have any USB ports or ethernet ports - and it was a good 10-15k less in price. After a year I realize that the netcast apps are overwhelmingly slow to open, the inbuilt USB though plays NTFS, can't do DTS and doesn't play most of my HD files)
So, there you have it - IMHO - don't buy top end in a series (they all use the same panel anyway), buy the entry level model, save yourself some money and get yourself an apple tv/ or a popcorn hour/ or a WD media player for your media needs - which shouldn't cost you more than 5-7k. Bottom line: Save on the tv - get a good receiver and speakers.

2) Don't buy a full HD - if you don't have content ( I've around 2TB of HD movies - all of the full blurays / blurray rips) and recommended viewing distance for it ( so for my 42inch, I can't tell the difference between a 1080p and a 720p unless I am sitting some where close to 8ft - anything beyond that - I don't think you can tell any difference, heck if you are at 20ft, even a dvdrip would look pretty watchable.) But yea, if you have a lot of Blurays to watch, go ahead and buy that full HD - its all worth it.

 

[just4kix]

^^^ Bingo.

I have said in some other threads that TV should be purchased for video and audio quality - 85% weightage given to Video, 10% to audio. The rest can be split across all other features - including 3D.

Hit the bulls eye again on full HD point. Buy FHD only if you have a lot of true Blu-Rays (not rips) to watch.