Question:
Hello,
Much as I am ashamed to admit it I am about to purchase my first DVD player and going for the whole hogg with a home entertainment system. I have looked around a bit but am obviously not as clued up as you lot. I have been offered the following Phillips system from a local retailer for £850 and would like some advice. Is it any good? Is the price good? Could I get a better system for the same money somewhere else?
Nicam Widescreen TV Model 28PW6006/05
Nicam Hi-Fi VCR Model VR730
Home cinema system Model LX3000D
Thanks for your help
;)
The choice of home cinema equipment is quite daunting these days. The most important thing to consider is your budget - you mention £850 in your post, is that the most you want to spend?
As for the kit you mention, I just did a quick search on Unbeatable.co.uk and the TV is £359, DVD £267, VCR £112 (approx £740) so a bit cheaper than your local dealer.
Is it any good? Can't answer that but you won't go far wrong with Philips TVs, this one has a Best Buy from What TV & Video. You'll probably get 20 different recomendations from people on these forums, everyone has their own personal preferences be it brand loyalty, sound, picture or even build quality. Truth is, it's down to you.... are you happy with it? Number one rule is to get a demo of the equipment before buying, weigh up the cost savings of using the net versus support from a local retailer too.
Most people will tell you that they "grow out" of their first system quickly, so you might want to consider your upgrade path i.e. buy a separate DVD player, amp and speakers rather than an all-in-one kit. It might cost a little more, but upgrading components is cheaper than starting again in the long run. Do you intend to buy DVDs from other regions? You should seriously consider a multi-region player as the extra cost is minimal.
As a suggested system, try the Toshiba 220, multi-region of course. An excellent speaker package similar to the Bose Acoustimass is the Acoustic Energy Aego P5 (also a What HiFi Award winner), small discrete speakers and great sound - this will cost you around £600-£650.
I hope this helps although I might be asking more questions to bewilder you even further!
I would thoroughly agree with Nigel about going for separates if you can possibly afford it. I went down the all-in-one route with my first set-up which was a few years ago now but I had to ditch the lot to start again when upgrading from Dolby Pro-Logic to DTS/DD.
Can't comment on the speakers but I have found the Toshiba SD220E is indeed a very good DVD player and gives excellent reprodutcion of picture and sound. There were some initial problems with the firmware in that model doing odd things with certain discs but I would guess that most 220s on sale now are new enough to have been sorted - unless anyone knows different!? :confused:
Oh, and welcome to the forums - addictive it ain't! :norty:
Thanks guys,
Unfortunately I only have about £850 to spend in total and I need a decent TV and VCR also. The Toshiba SD220E is a bit expensive for me.
Any other suggestions/recommendations?
Thanks:)
Hmm,
Considering a SONY DAVS400 multi region system now. Anyone had any experience of this system. I can buy from unbeatable.co.uk with the Phillips TV & Video I was originally getting for £861 including postage.
Has anyone had experiences with unbeatable? I was originally planning to get the system from a local dealer for my piece of mind. I am going to my local dealers today so may mention this price and see if he can come close to it.
Once again any advice/suggestions greatly appreciated as I am a DVD virgin!
Ive never had a problem with Unbeatable. They are local to me and they also have a retail outlet called Capital Sound & Vision who will match the unbeatable price. They are based in Crawley, West Sussex.
PJ
Much as I am ashamed to admit it I am about to purchase my first DVD player and going for the whole hogg with a home entertainment system. I have looked around a bit but am obviously not as clued up as you lot. I have been offered the following Phillips system from a local retailer for £850 and would like some advice. Is it any good? Is the price good? Could I get a better system for the same money somewhere else?
Nicam Widescreen TV Model 28PW6006/05
Nicam Hi-Fi VCR Model VR730
Home cinema system Model LX3000D
Thanks for your help
;)
Answers:
The choice of home cinema equipment is quite daunting these days. The most important thing to consider is your budget - you mention £850 in your post, is that the most you want to spend?
As for the kit you mention, I just did a quick search on Unbeatable.co.uk and the TV is £359, DVD £267, VCR £112 (approx £740) so a bit cheaper than your local dealer.
Is it any good? Can't answer that but you won't go far wrong with Philips TVs, this one has a Best Buy from What TV & Video. You'll probably get 20 different recomendations from people on these forums, everyone has their own personal preferences be it brand loyalty, sound, picture or even build quality. Truth is, it's down to you.... are you happy with it? Number one rule is to get a demo of the equipment before buying, weigh up the cost savings of using the net versus support from a local retailer too.
Most people will tell you that they "grow out" of their first system quickly, so you might want to consider your upgrade path i.e. buy a separate DVD player, amp and speakers rather than an all-in-one kit. It might cost a little more, but upgrading components is cheaper than starting again in the long run. Do you intend to buy DVDs from other regions? You should seriously consider a multi-region player as the extra cost is minimal.
As a suggested system, try the Toshiba 220, multi-region of course. An excellent speaker package similar to the Bose Acoustimass is the Acoustic Energy Aego P5 (also a What HiFi Award winner), small discrete speakers and great sound - this will cost you around £600-£650.
I hope this helps although I might be asking more questions to bewilder you even further!
Answers:
I would thoroughly agree with Nigel about going for separates if you can possibly afford it. I went down the all-in-one route with my first set-up which was a few years ago now but I had to ditch the lot to start again when upgrading from Dolby Pro-Logic to DTS/DD.
Can't comment on the speakers but I have found the Toshiba SD220E is indeed a very good DVD player and gives excellent reprodutcion of picture and sound. There were some initial problems with the firmware in that model doing odd things with certain discs but I would guess that most 220s on sale now are new enough to have been sorted - unless anyone knows different!? :confused:
Oh, and welcome to the forums - addictive it ain't! :norty:
Answers:
Thanks guys,
Unfortunately I only have about £850 to spend in total and I need a decent TV and VCR also. The Toshiba SD220E is a bit expensive for me.
Any other suggestions/recommendations?
Thanks:)
Answers:
Hmm,
Considering a SONY DAVS400 multi region system now. Anyone had any experience of this system. I can buy from unbeatable.co.uk with the Phillips TV & Video I was originally getting for £861 including postage.
Has anyone had experiences with unbeatable? I was originally planning to get the system from a local dealer for my piece of mind. I am going to my local dealers today so may mention this price and see if he can come close to it.
Once again any advice/suggestions greatly appreciated as I am a DVD virgin!
Answers:
Ive never had a problem with Unbeatable. They are local to me and they also have a retail outlet called Capital Sound & Vision who will match the unbeatable price. They are based in Crawley, West Sussex.
PJ
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