It’s been 5 days since my last blog post which pretty unusual for me. It’s probably one of the longest breaks i’ve had from blogging in over 3 years. I can use Christmas to shield myself from criticism though – it’s an acceptable excuse 
So what have i been doing? Not much in all honesty. I haven’t even been online that much over the past few days. I’ll be at a wedding on new years eve (2 days time) and i’m staying in Dublin this Saturday (4 days time), so i won’t really get much done until next week.
For Christmas, i got some money and i also got an unexpected €200+ profit from my efforts on lucky.ie this month, so i’ve decided to buy myself a new TV. Of course it won’t be any old TV… i’ve spent the last couple of days researching.
Amazon.co.uk are probably the best value overall, however they don’t ship anything larger than a 26″ to Ireland. Pixmania, PowerCity, Komplett etc… all charge for delivery plus they’re more expensive than Amazon.
PC World, Currys & Harvey Norman don’t have irish websites proper irish websites, so that means you have to really work to get a bargain from a reputable retailer online. I’ve bought from German sites before (a few years ago) but these days the savings aren’t worth it.
Ebay? Well i wouldn’t risk it for high value, precious items. Too much hassle if something goes wrong. So really, the only option is to drive to the north and pick up 26″ + TV’s there, or else spend a bit extra and get the same TV here the old fashioned way by going in to a shop.
I’ve been in Currys here already and compared some TV’s to their UK prices. TV’s here are immediately 2.5% more expensive than the UK right now due to idiotic VAT tweaks made last year (which are now being reversed from next year). However in general, prices weren’t that bad when i compared a few TV’s in Currys Ireland -v- Currys UK
- Samsung 32″ B530 in Ireland = €399
- Samsung 32″ B530 in UK = £369
- Samsung 42″ Plasma B451 in Ireland = €499
- Samsung 42″ Plasma B451 UK = £449
At those prices, they’re actually taking a hit in Ireland at current exchange rates (£1 = €1.10). Anyway, I have my eye on the following;
- 32″ Samsung B530 = £369
- 32″ LG LH3000 = £329
- 32″ LG LH5000 = £399
Specs wise, this is what i’ve gotten written down mentally; I’ve decided that i need a 32″. My current TV is a 28″ and it’s slightly too small to see in bed.
Anything larger than 32″ and it will probably be too big for the space it needs to fit in (on the wall behind my old TV in picture), but i wouldn’t say no to a 37″ if the price was right. Full HD is a must. 100hz ideal, but for the money i’ll probably only get 50hz. Must be black. Must not be ugly.
I realise some people will question the benefit of Full HD over HD ready, especially in a 32″ LCD. At a distance, i don’t think i’d notice myself, but if i’m only a foot or two away from the TV, i’ll pick up every single pixel – just like i do with my PC monitors. I can tell you exactly where my 1 stuck pixel is on one of my monitors & what colour it is. I notice these things straight away even if i let them slide.
Because i’m getting a new TV, i also decided to buy myself a PS3. Not really for the gaming factor. For the blu ray factor. I suppose the PS3 egged me on to get a Full HD TV, and then the Full HD LCD egged me on to get a PS3 and take advantage of it’s blu ray player. Most PS3 games are made in 720p, which is HD Ready, not Full HD. Same with Sky HD (isn’t broadcast in full HD). So HD Ready, for now, is more than adequate for the vast majority of stuff with a HD label attached to it.
Blu Ray is really where Full HD comes out to play and because i tend to watch a lot of films in bed, that’s my logic in going for a Full HD TV over the less expensive HD Ready.
photo credit: jazzmodeus
A blu ray dvd player will cost €100+. A PS3 costs €300 and it’s an entertainment hub too. So in my eyes, it made sense to get a ps3 rather than a blu ray player, even though i rarely play games on a console. I already have the PS3 ordered with amazon. 250gb slim black version. So now i just need to get myself the TV
I’ll probably pick one up over the next few days / weeks.
